


Surreal, but nice.

by jenncho



Category: The Voice (US) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Basically Blake is Hugh and Adam is Julia, Bisexual Adam Levine, Bisexual Blake Shelton, Idiots to friends to lovers, M/M, Notting Hill AU, Past Relationship(s), Record Store Owner Blake, Record store au, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, just a boy standing in front of another boy asking him not to be a dumbass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:26:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 85,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21640138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenncho/pseuds/jenncho
Summary: The life of a simple record store owner changes when he meets one of the most famous musicians in the world. AKA: The Notting Hill AU That No One Asked For.
Relationships: Adam Levine/Blake Shelton
Comments: 207
Kudos: 173





	1. Chapter 1

Blake could really use a drink. It was a slow day that was following several slow days before it. This was his life and he has accepted it. 

If he was being honest with himself, up to this point his life had been extraordinarily un-spectacular. He wishes he could take credit for that apt description, but the sad truth was that those words were a parting shot from his ex-wife as they finalized their divorce. He thinks it might actually be written down somewhere in the official paperwork. The worst part of it all was that while she was wrong about many things, that painful turn of phrase wasn’t one of them. 

His life **was** extraordinarily un-spectacular. A little less than a year ago, in an embarrassing attempt to make his life more exciting, he signed up for one of those dating sites that everyone in his life insisted he try. He wasn’t surprised not to get many responses. It was hard to make late thirties, divorced, failing business owner sound appealing. He gave it 48 hours before deleting his profile and vowing to never take advice from his friends again when it came to his life; dating or otherwise. 

If he really sat down and thought about it, Blake could count the most memorable moments of his life on one hand. That was until Adam Levine walked into his life. The events of that day could take up a full hand all on its own. 

First of all because it was the closest he’d ever been to someone that famous. Sure, he’d seen musicians of various levels of fame around town, but never close enough to talk to, to touch. Not since moving to Nashville to open a record store 5 years prior, and definitely never in Oklahoma. And secondly, well… 

It was warmer than he could remember October being. The store was predictably quiet save for a tourist every now and again who’d pretend to browse for a few minutes before asking to use the bathroom. Luke, Blake’s friend and business partner, made a passing comment once that they should charge to use the bathroom since that would be more than they’d likely make in a month. Blake would’ve given him a raise if he could afford it. 

Luke had put on an old Alan Jackson album that he said reminded him of home, and not for the first time, Blake wondered what he was still doing in Nashville. 

“I know we’re in the middle of a rush and all,” Luke gestured to the empty store “but I’m gonna run down to get a lemonade and somethin’ to eat. Want anything?” 

“A sweet tea’d be great.” A vodka and diet coke would be better but he’d take what he could get for now. Blake let out an exaggerated groan as he sat in Luke’s customary spot behind the counter. “While you’re gone I’ll catch up on current events.” He held up the copy of US Weekly Luke had been reading. 

“I’ll be back in a few and expect a full report.” Luke shot back as he made his way out into the unseasonably warm Tennessee afternoon. 

Blake rolled his eyes and looked down at the magazine, flipping it open in resignation. 

The sound of the bell over the door let out a soft chime as Blake turned to the next page. _'Stars! They’re just like US'_ lined over celebrities buying groceries and eating ice cream cones. 

“Let me know if you need any help. Bathroom’s in the back.” Blake gestured, not looking up from the fascinating article about whether or not someone he’s never heard of was secretly engaged to someone else he’s never heard of. 

He would never understand the fascination people had with the lives of celebrities. It was all just a show. No one looked that good in real life. 

As he got to the celebrity horoscopes Blake glanced up. It’d been several minutes and the customer, at least he hoped it was an actual customer, hadn’t left yet. This could potentially be a sale, he thought coming out from behind the counter. He’d barely glimpsed a white shirt around the corner when the bells chimed again. He took one look at the young couple and made a pointed effort not to groan out loud in annoyance. He knew exactly where this was going. 

“Hi. Can I help you find somethin'?” Blake asked with a smile that didn’t come close to reaching his eyes. 

“Where are your CDs?” The girl rubbed her boyfriend's arm and gave a slight squeeze. 

“We’re a record store, actually. We only sell vinyl records.” Blake said slowly as if he was talking to a child, which he guesses by the look of them wasn’t too far off. 

“Right.” The boyfriend kissed the top of her head. “You sell iTunes gift cards though right?” 

“Sorry. Just the records.” He wished they’d just get to it already. He was running out of patience. They hadn’t shut the door completely behind them and Blake was mentally counting how many records he’d need to sell in order to make up for the electricity they were wasting. 

“Oh…” They looked at each other. “Can we use your bathroom?” Bingo. 

Blake let out a sigh. “Sorry. Out of order. Next door can help,” he pointed to the door. 

They turned quickly and fled the store with a quiet giggle. Blake was seriously considering removing that bell as the last refrain of the Alan Jackson album played out into blissful silence. 

“Good call.” Came a voice near a stack of classic rock albums. Blake sucked in a surprised breath and quickly turned, hand to his chest, having completely forgotten there was someone else in the store. 

“They were definitely going to have sex in there.” The man shook his head in amusement, a knowing smile on his face. Blake almost tripped over his own feet as he took him in fully. 

He recognized that face. Not because he’d just looked at a photo of him grocery shopping in Luke’s magazine. No, he knew that face as he knew that voice because he heard it every day on the radio and saw it plastered on album covers. One of which was displayed not 5 feet away from where Blake was currently standing. There standing in his shop, in HIS shop, wearing a white t-shirt with holes in it and the collar all stretched out looking every bit the rock star he is, was Adam Levine. 

Giving him a quick once over that he hoped Adam didn’t notice, but from the way the corner of his mouth twitched up just slightly, probably did, Blake took his earlier statement back. He understood the fascination and he looked better than good in real life. 

“You think?” Blake winced; sure that sound of his heart beating out of his chest could be heard clearly in the room. 

Adam said nothing but raised an eyebrow. Blake quickly glanced toward the bathroom and wondered if this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to, or had done such a thing in there. He’d have Luke bleach every inch of it after closing. 

Adam moved over to the oldies section and Blake decided to give him some room. “Let me know if you need any help.” That sounded normal, right? He hoped desperately as he walked back behind the counter. 

“I think I’m good,” Adam called out, bringing his purchases up to the register. 

“Yeah, you are.” Blake said softly under his breath. Adam let out a quiet laugh and in that moment Blake prayed a sinkhole would open up underneath him. He was sure his face was bright red but decided the best course of action was not to acknowledge it and quickly began to ring him up. 

“I Wanna Be Your Man.” Adam said suddenly causing Blake to cough loudly. 

“Excuse me?” The sound of blood rushing in his ear was so loud that he was sure he misheard him. Adam smiled and pointed to the Rolling Stones record on the counter. “Oh right.” Stupid! 

“It’s a great song. Haven’t seen the single on vinyl before.” Adam reached into his too tight jeans that Blake was definitely not thinking about right now to pull out his wallet. 

“Yeah, this one’s been lying around for a bit. We don’t sell much of Rock if you believe that. Or see many rock stars either.” 

_Stop talking!_ Blake scolded himself in his head. _You’re making it worse, damn it._

“These ones are pretty old.” He cleared his throat and took another glance at the four records Adam had chosen. “They’re in good condition but I have a player over there if you want to check any of them to make sure they…” 

“It’s cool.” Adam interrupted, handing over his credit card. 

Blake nodded, completing the transaction and handing him his receipt. Their fingers brushed and it felt like fire. If his Momma taught him anything, it was that you don’t play with fire. 

“Well, if you play any of them and they don’t sound right just give me a call and I’ll see about getting you a refund or replacement.” He slid his card over to Adam on the counter. “That’s my card. I’m Blake, by the way. I run the shop… I mean… It’s my shop… I own it. I don’t just run it.” 

“Thanks.” Adam picked up the card and tossed it in the bag as he headed to the door. 

“Just so you know, no one’s had sex in that bathroom!” Blake shouted after him. 

Adam laughed, putting on his sunglasses as he walked out the door. “Well that’s a damn shame.” Adam’s smile was so bright and genuine he was sure he’d never remember how to breathe normally for the rest of his life. 

Blake sat down on the stool heavily and stared at the door after it closed behind Adam. He then replayed the last 20 minutes over and over in his head, not believing any of that just happened. Then, suddenly, it hit him all at once. 

“No one’s had sex in that bathroom?” Blake shouted in the empty store. “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

The bell chimed as Luke entered holding two plastic cups and a bag of food. “Already talking to yourself? Day’s barely even half over yet!” 

Blake stared at him blankly. “You’ll never believe who was just in here.” 

“Damn. Who?” He handed Blake his drink with a look of excitement. “Was it someone famous?” 

Blake looked at the door again and shook his head. “Nah. A couple came in trying to buy an iTunes gift card and I’m pretty sure they were gonna have sex in the bathroom, but I kicked ‘em out.” 

Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed his magazine. “Well damn. For a second I thought somethin' excitin' might’ve happened around here.” 

Blake shrugged and walked to his office and tried desperately to ignore the fact that he could still feel the heat from Adam’s fingers.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake stared ahead at the door of his shop, his elbows on the counter, head resting in his hands, just as he had done for the last two hours. Since Adam Levine had walked out the door but stayed at the front of Blake’s mind. 

He replayed their interaction over and over in his head. He had never felt less cool in his entire life. 

A sudden snap of fingers in front of his face caused him to lurch back on the stool. He gripped the counter tightly to keep from falling. 

“The hell?” 

“Welcome back. Enjoy your nap?” Blake rolled his eyes and looked over at the clock to see that it was just after 6. 

“I’ve got a lot on my mind is all.” He hesitated before flipping the sign to closed. As if there was still a chance Adam would be back. It was insane. He had no reason to come back. He likely had already tossed Blake’s business card in the trash the second he walked out the door. 

“If you need a few days off, you know I can handle things around here.” Luke offered for what may have been the fifth time in as many weeks. 

“Maybe.” Blake knew it was a lie as well as Luke did. “I am gonna head home though. You ok to finish closing?” 

“Are you asking me if I need your help flippin’ a light switch and lockin’ a door?” 

“You say that like I haven’t come back here to every light in the damn place…” 

“That was one time!” Luke interrupted. Blake raised an eyebrow. “Okay, TWO times. It won’t happen again. Now get the hell out of here and get some liquor in ya. You look like shit.” 

“Love you too, buddy.” Blake stuck a finger up at him as he walked out into the warm air. Accepting that he had tortured himself enough for one day, he decided to take Luke’s advice. 

Making a quick stop to the grocery store across the street Blake nodded to the cashier and headed to the large wall of beer in the back. In a moment of intense self-pity he also decided to get a bottle of Diet Coke to go with the bottle of vodka waiting for him at home. If he was gonna wallow in self pity, he’d might as well go all out. He quickly browsed the soda aisle and could only find off brand stuff that always tasted like shit and he wasn’t in the mood for that kind of a hangover. 

“You out of Diet Coke?” Blake put his beer on the counter. 

“Sorry. New stock just got here this morning but won’t be unboxed for another hour. I can see if we can get some from the back if you’d like?” 

“Nah that’s alright. Machine working?” Blake nodded to the soda dispensers behind the counter. 

“Sure. No charge.” He grabbed the largest size and filled it. 

Blake paid, and made an extra effort to ignore the familiar face on the magazine in the rack near the register. 

“Have a good one.” He grabbed the case of beer and his soda and headed the two-block walk toward his truck. Several of the stores on their street had inventory come in that morning, so he had to park further away than he normally would’ve liked. Thankfully, while it was warm out, it wasn’t unbearable so late in the day so he didn’t mind the walk. 

Speaking of unbearable, he still couldn’t get over the fact that someone **that** famous had not only walked into his store, but actually bought something. Sure, he acted like a complete idiot, but it was still one of the coolest things to have happened since moving to Nashville. If that didn’t say something about how pathetic his life had become he wasn’t sure what did. 

Feeling the buzz of his phone in his pocket Blake moved the case of beer under his arm and pulled his phone out and opened the text from Luke. 

It contained two words “Told ya!” and several emoji’s that he wasn’t sure what they meant. The light and door he understood. The rest had him staring at his phone like he’d never seen it before. He was still trying to figure out what the hell Luke was trying to tell him when he turned the corner and crashed hard soda first into another person. 

Blake dropped the case of beer and the now two-thirds empty cup on the ground. “Oh shit. I am so sorry. I didn’t see y…” Blake began to apologize profusely when he looked up in horror at the person he slammed into and suddenly felt like he was having an actual heart attack. 

Adam stood stock still, his shirt covered in sticky brown liquid, his sunglasses crooked to the point that Blake could see the stunned look in his eyes. 

“Shit, man. I am so sorry about that.” Blake reached out as if he was able to clean him off with his bare hands. 

“Fuck” Adam broke out of his stupor and stepped back. Blake pulled his hands back as if he’d stuck them straight into a fire, which he pretty much had done. The soda had soaked him straight through and the now brown tinted shirt clung to Adam’s muscled chest. Blake stared at him and pulled at his own hair making it go in several directions as his blood pressure had surely skyrocketed. 

Adam took off his glasses and rested them on the top of his head as he pulled the shirt away from his chest. “Fuck. Fuck.” He repeated. 

“Look, I live about 5 minutes away. I’m really sorry about this. We’ll get you all cleaned up. My truck is right there.” He pointed at the beat up pick up truck behind them. 

Adam looked at him incredulously “You want me to get in your murder truck and go to your house…?” 

“Yeah” Blake nodded his head looking desperate to fix this. “I mean, no. It’s not a murder truck. I’m not…” 

Adam raised his hand to stop him. “Fine. It’s like 900 degrees out and I’m sticky as fuck so let’s just do this.” Adam walked over to the truck, trying to wring out as much soda from the front of his shirt as possible. 

Blake picked up the beer from the ground and hurried over to follow Adam into the truck. Blake’s hands held the steering wheel so tightly he was sure he was losing circulation. They didn’t talk. 

Pulling up in front of his house they got out of the truck and Blake hurried to unlock the door. Adam looked past him into the house and deciding it looked fairly normal walked in behind him. 

“Sorry about all the mess.” Adam eyed the feather cape hanging off the coat rack. My roommate is a bit… eccentric.” Blake explained quickly as he rushed into the bathroom to grab a towel and some of the stain remover spray from under the counter.

“This stuff gets grease out of anything so it should at least stop it from setti…” Blake walked out of the bathroom and was pretty sure his heart stopped dead in his chest. His eyes widened at the full expanse of exposed tattoos in his kitchen. 

Adam twisted his shirt out into the sink, trying to get as much liquid as possible out of it. “Thanks but I think the shirt’s fucked.” Adam turned around. 

Blake averted his eyes and was suddenly very thankful that all his blood rushed to his face and not in the other direction. Not the damn time for that! 

“I’m real sorry about this.” Blake said pathetically. 

“You’ve said. Look it was an accident. Shit happens. Can I use your bathroom?” 

Blake snapped his eyes up and moved out of the way. “Of course. There’s clean towels in the closet in there if you need.” 

Adam closed the door behind him with a click and when Blake heard the sink running finally allowed himself to breathe. He pulled the shirt out of the kitchen sink and sprayed it but knew that Adam was right. The shirt was indeed fucked. 

Blake quickly went into his bedroom and pulled a fresh white t-shirt out of his dresser. Just as he made his way back into the hall Adam walked out of the bathroom, chest slightly damp but looking a lot less sticky. 

Blake thrust the shirt out towards him and flushed. “I’m…” 

“Dude. I get it. You’re sorry.” Adam said in a half amused, half exasperated tone, and grabbed the shirt. 

“Might be a bit big but it’s clean.” 

“Thanks” Adam pulled the shirt over his head and let out a quiet laugh at how it hung on him. He reached up and rolled the sleeves several times and tucked the shirt in. Blake bit his lip as he watched him. That shirt never looked half as good when he wore it. 

“At least it was an old one…” Blake wanted to slap himself as the words came out of his mouth. Adam looked at him in confusion. “Your shirt. With all the holes and stuff…” Blake trailed off. 

“It was pretty new actually” Adam pulled his phone from his pocket and fiddled with it. 

“Shit. Right. One of those rock star things.” Blake said under his breath. “At least let me pay for it!” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a $20 bill. “How much was it?” 

“$230” Adam said with a serious face, glancing up from his phone. 

“FOR A WHITE T-SHIRT?” A grin broke on Adam’s face at the way he stressed the H in white. Blake looked back down in his wallet and reached in as though multiple hundreds would somehow appear. Just as the hole in the floor would magically open and make this waking nightmare end. 

Adam reached out and put his hand over Blake’s. “I’ve got 4 more at home. Don’t worry about it.” He made his way to the front door as Blake blurted 

“Do you need a ride? To wherever you’re going?” 

“In your murder truck you mean?” Adam asked. 

“You rode in it and you don’t look murdered to me.” Blake shot back.

“I guess you got me there.” He held up his phone. “Uber. Arriving in about 2 minutes. Thanks though.” Adam waved as he made his way out the door and Blake raised his hand back. 

Before he could get his mind fully around what had just happened the front door opened and Adam burst back in looking unsure of himself. 

“What’s the matter?” Blake rushed over to him. His eyes quickly scanning to see if he had injured himself in the last 15 seconds, which was not likely, but nothing about this day was likely. 

“Look.” Adam started, running his hand across his face. “I don’t think it needs to be said but I’m gonna say it anyway.” Blake nodded, waiting for him to continue. “If you could not sell this story to th...” 

“I’d never!” Blake shook his head. “You have my word.” 

Adam gave him an intense look as though he was considering if Blake was lying to him or not. Blake didn’t dare to blink as he watched Adam wrestle with a decision. Having found what he was looking for Adam’s shoulders lowered and the tension eased. 

“Thanks” Adam said finally. 

“Of course. Least I could do.” 

Adam nodded and looked at him a bit longer. He reached out to touch Blake’s hair, which was still standing in several directions. Blake couldn’t move if he wanted to. 

“You probably should clean this up. You got soda in your hair when you messed with it earlier and you look like an actual crazy person.” Adam smiled.

“Yeah I feel like one.” Blake let out a surprised laugh. Not expecting that. “All this crazy shit aside…” Blake stuck his left hand out to shake Adam’s. He then panicked wondering why he stuck his left hand out since he wasn’t even left handed but it was too late to switch now. 

“It was nice to meet you…” Blake almost sighed in relief when he saw Adam raise his left hand.

“You too.” Adam grasped Blake’s hand in his and made a curious face that Blake couldn’t even begin to understand 

“Surreal, but nice.” Adam let out a soft laugh at that and walked away from Blake for the third time that day. 

As the door clicked shut Blake let out a heavy breath and leaned against the wall. 

_Fucking shit._


	3. Chapter 3

The next week flew by surprisingly fast. The store had been busier than he could ever remember it being in the years they’d been open. He was pretty sure he had the strangely warm weather to thank for that. Dozens of people would make their way in to escape the mid-afternoon heat. Blake was thankful for the distraction. 

“Ol’ Red, this is Luke. Hey, yeah. One sec.” Luke put his hand over the phone, “Blake, CeeLo’s on the phone. Wants to know if you’ve seen his angel wings.” 

“Tell him they’re in the tub. Scared the shit out of me this morning.” Blake shouted back.

“He said to check the tub. Oh. Ok hold on. He said those are the red ones he’s lookin' for the pink ones.” Luke turned back to Blake. “Oh wait. Never mind. He found them.” 

No sooner than he hung up the phone it rang again. “Ol’ Red, this is Luke, how can I help you today? Yeah. Let me check. Blake? Do we still have the Dolly box set?” 

“Look behind you.” Luke turned around and saw the set on the shelf. He pulled it down and put it behind the counter. 

“We can hold it until the end of business, thanks. Ol’ Red this is Luke.” He picked up the next call. “Hi, yeah. One second. Blake?” 

“Thanks. Enjoy!” Blake turned to give an exasperated look at Luke. “What?” 

“Can we use your bathroom please?” A mother with a young child came into the store in a panic. Blake pointed to the door when something caught his eye. 

“Take a message.” Blake told Luke, not taking his eyes off the man in the back of the store wearing an oversized jacket. 

“Can I help you find somethin’?” The man jumped at Blake’s voice. 

“I’m good. Thanks.” He smiled tightly and started to make his way to the door. 

“Look, man. Despite the number of people in here, you’ve got at least two full days of sales hiding in your coat right now. It’s hot as hell out there and the sweat on your forehead ain’t just from the heat.” 

“I don’t know wh…” Blake put his hand up to stop him. 

“How about you just hand me the records and walk out of here and I won’t call attention to the cop standin’ right outside my store. How’s that sound?” Blake stood at his full height of 6’5” and stared down at the man with a deadly serious look in his eyes. 

The man removed five records from under his coat and then quickly made his way to the door muttering a weak “sorry” on his way out. 

“I didn’t see any cops.” Luke stood next to Blake, phone in hand. “Issue with the new stock of records players. They can’t get them in until Thursday at the earliest.” 

“There wasn’t any.” Blake walked behind the counter to wipe off the album covers. “Thursday is fine.” 

Blake flipped through the records quickly. He stared at the Maroon 5 album in his hand and almost laughed at how ridiculous his life was. He took extra care to clean and wipe it down. 

“Hey, Blake. Call for you.” Luke held up the phone. 

Blake dropped the record onto the counter and turned to Luke, pink tingeing his cheeks “Shit, Luke. You say you can handle the store all the damn time. Handle it.” 

Luke held up his hands in acquiescence as Blake walked into his back office. 

He knew he was acting like an ass and would have to come out and apologize to Luke eventually, but for now he’d just hide out for a bit and calm himself. It’s been a week since the Adam Disaster as he referred to it in his head. In his head because there is no possible reality in which he’d tell anyone what happened. There was no reason to still be torturing himself over it. 

Forty minutes later Blake came back out of hiding and helped Luke with the last of the customers and closed out the register. 

“Sorry about before” Blake put his hand on Luke’s shoulder. 

“Not a big deal. You’re right. I could’ve handled it, just got a bit crazy in here today and threw me off. Not used to more than 4 people in here at a time, including us.” 

Blake laughed. “You’re right about that.” 

That night a cool breeze made its way through Nashville as the heat finally broke and business slowed once again. 

Blake entered his apartment to find CeeLo sitting in the kitchen eating cereal and wearing a shoulder length pink wig and a large pair of sunglasses despite being indoors and the sun having gone down hours ago. “I can see why you wanted the pink wings.” Blake said as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and bent down to pet the cat 

“You can’t wear red wings with pink hair. It clashes.” Blake took a sip of his beer and nodded even though he had no idea what the other man was talking about. Fashion wasn’t really his area of expertise and CeeLo’s fashion in particular was something that he’d never truly understand. 

Blake met CeeLo two years ago when he was in the middle of finalizing a messy divorce. He was sitting in the waiting room of his lawyer’s office when CeeLo walked out of one of the conference rooms. He was dressed in a large red cape with what looked like spikes running along the sides. He walked toward the door but stopped suddenly in front of Blake to compliment his cowboy boots. 

“Those are real nice. I’d like to get me a pair of those. Do you think they make them with sequins?” He questioned. 

“Not sure. They were a gift from my wife.” Blake shrugged. Rather, his ex-wife in the next 30 or so minutes once he signed the papers. 

When Blake finished meeting with his lawyer he was surprised to see CeeLo still in the waiting room. 

“You looked like you can use a drink and possibly some time with Ms. Precious Purrfect. She makes everything better.” 

“Oh!” Blake’s eyes widened in shock. “Thanks, man,” Blake’s voice got very low “but prostitutes really aren’t my thing.” 

CeeLo looked at him for a moment and then let out a loud laugh that shook his whole body. He pulled out his phone and opened it to a photo and handed it to Blake who turned bright red. 

Ms. Precious Purrfect, as it turned out, was a snowy white, longhaired cat with a diamond collar and bow. 

Blake, feeling like an idiot and not wanting to insult the man further, decided to go home with him and found that Ms. Precious Purrfect was indeed a comfort. He and Blake went through an entire bottle of scotch and Blake poured his heart out to the man about the divorce, his ex, moving to Nashville, and his shop that he was currently sleeping in. The more he drank the more he blurted out. CeeLo, bless him, sat there and listened the entire time, offering advice and support. 

By the end of the night, Blake had passed out on CeeLo’s couch with Ms. Precious Purrfect curled up on his stomach. When he woke the next day CeeLo offered him a place to stay. He said that Ms. Precious Purrfect was an excellent judge of character and that he seemed like a good dude. He’s been living there ever since. 

“I took your gentleman visitors shirt to the cleaners.” CeeLo said bringing Blake back into the present. 

“My what?” Blake’s voice cracked slightly. 

“It took some extra love but they were able to save it.” He pointed to the white shirt hanging in a clear dry cleaner bag on the coat rack. 

“What do you mean gentleman visitor?” Blake looked over to the bag. “It’s Luke’s. The dumbass dropped an entire soda on himself in my truck.” 

“Business must be going real good if he’s wearing Dolce.” CeeLo pulled his glasses down to look Blake in the eyes and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Blake’s mouth opened and closed, not sure what to say. 

“Love is love, baby.” He stood and put his bowl in the sink. “It’s about time you’re gettin’ some.” He left Blake standing in the kitchen, wishing that were true. 

Letting out a pathetic sounding sigh in the empty kitchen, he grabbed the dry-cleaner bag and took it into his room while he readied himself for bed. As he went through his routine he’d casually glance at it and look away quickly feeling foolish. This process was repeated ten times until he finally hung it in his closet and closed the door. 

He hit the light and crawled in bed. CeeLo was right about one thing. He definitely needed to get laid.


	4. Chapter 4

Blake arrived to work bright and early the next morning. He woke up with an extra spring in his step and decided that today was going to be the day he would start the next chapter of his life. He made a plan to do some shopping after work and clean out all the things he’d been holding on to since the divorce. Nothing was going to ruin this day. 

“What’s this?” Blake opened the register and pulled several pieces of paper from underneath the drawer. 

“Hmm?” Luke turned the page of his magazine. 

“Under the cash drawer.” Blake held the papers up again. 

“Looks like your messages.” Luke responded as if it were obvious. 

“I can see that. Why are they under the cash drawer?” 

“That’s where we always keep the messages.” 

“We never have any messages.” 

“Well if we did that’s where we would keep them.” 

“Thanks for your help, smartass.” Blake flipped through them. “These from yesterday?” 

“When you had your nervous breakdown? Yepp.” 

“Funny.” Blake turned to the last one and felt as though he was hit with a bucket of ice water. 

_**Adam. Has something of yours. Call the hotel.**_ The note read. Blake flipped it over several times. Is that it? his brain shouted. 

“Christ. Is what it?” Luke jumped up off his stool. Blake winced not realizing he’d said that out loud. He shoved the note at Luke. 

“What hotel? What else did he say? Why didn’t you give me the phone?” Blake asked not giving Luke a chance to respond. 

“I dunno. He just asked for you to call him at the hotel. I tried to give you the phone you told me to handle it, remember?” Luke reminded him with a frown.

“What hotel!?” He asked again only louder. Of course he remembered. He remembered sulking like a 5 year old in his damn office when he could’ve been on the phone talking to Adam. 

“I don’t remember. I figured you’d know seein’ as he said he had somethin’ of yours. Whoever the hell he is.” Luke handed it back. “Sorry. If I knew it was that important I would’ve…” 

“It’s not your fault.” Blake cut him off. His voice muffled by his head in his hands. 

“I thought he was just some random crazy person. He asked you to call him but then he gave me a totally different name.” 

Blake looked up in confusion. “A different name? What name?” 

Luke bit his lip and scratched his head. “I can’t remember.” 

“Well TRY!” Blake put his hands on his shoulders and tried with every ounce of self control left not to shake him. 

“It sounded like a band name, but it wasn’t exactly.” Luke looked at Blake with a blank expression. 

“Maroon 5?” Blake suggested. 

“Nah. Somethin' else. I’d know it if I heard it.” 

“That is not helpful AT ALL.” 

Luke came out from behind the counter and paced the store. He was quietly repeating the alphabet in his head. 

“Chicag.. nah. D… Dixie Ch… no. E…Eagles… no…” This went on for 8 excruciatingly long minutes. He would start over when we’d get to the end of the alphabet and would say different bands out loud until he stopped suddenly in front of Blake. 

“Well?” Blake asked 

“I GOT IT! I REMEMBERED!” Luke shouted with excitement, a huge grin on his face. 

“WELL WHAT IS IT, DAMN IT!?” Blake wanted to strangle him. He just might after he got the answer. 

“The Rolling Stones!” Luke said, the relief clear in his voice. 

“The Rolling Stones? He said ask for Mick Jagger?” Blake asked confused. Keeping a low profile by staying in a hotel under the name of an even more famous person might’ve been the most insane thing he’d ever heard. Maybe Luke was right and Adam was crazy. 

“No. It sounded like it. Roland Stone.” Luke explained. 

“Roland Stone.” Blake nodded and then it all made sense. One of the records Adam had bought from him and he made a real dick of himself talking about it, was a Rolling Stones album. 

“Right.” Blake sat down on a stool. Now that he had gotten that sorted, the hard part began. Which hotel was he staying at? 

Blake went into his office, pen and paper in one hand, telephone in another. He pulled up a web search of all the hotels in Nashville and wrote their names down on a yellow notepad. 

Luke would occasionally pop in and out to see if he made any progress. 

“Alright. Thanks anyway.” He hung up the phone and crossed another hotel off the list. He felt as though he called every hotel in Nashville and none of them had a Roland Stone staying there. He was seriously questioning Luke’s memory at this point. 

“No luck?” Luke flipped a chair around and sat down resting his head on his arms across the back. 

“I didn’t realize there were so many damn hotels in this city. I’ve called” he counted down his list “FIFTEEN hotels and nothin’ at all.” 

“Fifteen? Whatever this guy has of yours must be real important.” Luke looked over the list. 

Blake nodded but didn’t elaborate. He wanted to keep this to himself right now. If he ever did find Adam and the thing he wanted to give him was a restraining order, at least he wouldn’t have to explain himself to anyone. He was perfectly happy keeping this a secret for now. 

“Hermitage Hotel, how can I help you?” A pleasant voice came on the line. 

“Hi. Is there a Roland Stone there by chance?” Blake asked without a tinge of hope in his voice. 

“One moment please.” The sound of ringing caused Blake to sit up in his seat. He gestured for Luke to leave the room. 

_'COME ON!'_ Luke mouthed. Blake glared at him and he raised his hands in defeat and left the room. 

The phone rang four more times. Blake was surprised he could hear it over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

“Hello?” 

Blake sat there in stunned silence. He couldn’t believe he found him. 

“Hello?” The sound of annoyance shocked Blake out of his stupor and into action. 

“Hi. Adam? This is Blake” He cleared his throat. “Blake Shelton. From the record store...” 

“That’s what you’re going with? The guy from the record store? Not the guy who spilled soda all over me?” 

“I… uh…” Blake stuttered unable to think of a response. 

“I’m joking, man. I’m glad you called.” Blake relaxed and adjusted the phone. He glanced up to make sure Luke wasn’t hiding by the door. 

“Sorry. I would’ve called the other day but my friend took a really shit message and hid it under the register.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” As if that was even a possibility. 

“Look, if you’re free this afternoon can you meet me at my hotel? There is something I’d like to talk to you about and I’d rather do it in person.” 

Blake put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and took a deep breath. _Be cool. Be. Cool._

“Oh. Right… I just need to check somethin’…” He put the phone down on the table and pulled at his hair. _Don’t sound so desperate!_ He cleared his throat and put the phone back to his ear. 

“Sorry about that. This afternoon’s fine. Is 3 too early or late?” 

“Hmmm” Adam paused for a moment. “Yeah I should be finished up by then. Do you have the address?” 

“Yeah, I know where it is.” 

“Great. See you at 3.” Adam hung up the call and Blake stared at his phone. 

Luke peeked his head back in and frowned. “You look like you’re gonna throw up.” 

“I have somethin’ to do around 3 so I’m gonna head out around 1ish. Can you handle things here?” 

“Everything alright?” Luke looked like he was dying to ask a million questions but thankfully didn’t.

“Yeah. Just some stuff to do and I’m not sure how long it’s gonna take.” 

“Yeah. I can handle it. I’ll try not to burn the place to the ground.” 

“I’d appreciate it.” Blake rolled his eyes. It was a little after 11am now. He had two hours to kill but ended up leaving slightly earlier than 1:00 when Luke all but threw him out of the store. He complained that Blake’s pacing was scaring off the customer. Singular. To be fair, he probably wasn’t going to buy anything anyway. 

Though not wanting to argue or explain, Blake agreed and left a little after noon. He took another shower despite having already done so that morning. Going through his clothes, he found a new flannel shirt that Luke bought him for his birthday but never had a good reason to wear, and decided to leave the jacket at home. It was casual enough without looking sloppy. 

He double checked himself in the mirror and pulled Adam’s shirt from the closet. After some internal debate, he decided to just fold it neatly and put it in a shopping bag instead of carrying around a big dry-cleaner bag. 

He took one last look in the mirror. _This is as good as it’s gonna get._ He sighed and headed out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake goes to meet Adam at his hotel and it doesn't go exactly as planned.

The car ride over to the Hermitage Hotel didn’t take more than 20 minutes. In that time Blake went over various scenarios in his head. Adam said he wanted to talk to him in person. His first thought was that he wanted to tell him in person that he was going to sue him for basically attacking him the other day. He quickly decided that was stupid. If Adam was gonna to sue him, he would have had a lawyer contact him. Who called someone to tell them they were suing them? That was ridiculous. 

Blake briefly flirted with the idea that Adam was asking him to his hotel for more personal reasons. That thought shot immediately out of his head as quickly as it had come. Other than that moment when Adam had touched his hair, he showed no indication that he was interested, and having seen the state of his hair that day if he were in Adam’s place he probably would’ve reached out to flatten it as well.

He moved on to safer thoughts. Maybe one of the records had been scratched and he couldn’t make it back to the store and wanted to return it. He felt like an idiot for not carrying more cash on him. 

His truck pulled up in front of the hotel and he killed the engine. The time for theories was over. He’d find out soon enough. He grabbed the shopping bag, got out of his truck and handed the keys to the valet. 

Making his way to the front desk he smiled awkwardly at the woman behind the front desk.

“How can I help you, sir?” She smiled politely in return.

“I’m here to see Adaaa...Roland Stone?” _Smooth._ He felt like he was sweating. “Blake Shelton. He’s expecting me.” 

The woman nodded and picked up the phone to confirm. After an excruciating 2 minutes she smiled and pointed to the elevator and directed him to Adam’s floor. He was staying in the Presidential Suite. Of course he was. 

The ride up to the room went surprisingly fast. He was thankful the elevator was empty as he quietly practiced his ‘Hello’ a few times before the doors opened. 

“Hello. HeLLO. Hey… “ The door opened “Hel…lo?” Blake looked at the sign on the door and then back to the man in front of him. “Sorry. I was lookin' for Adam?” 

“Come in. You’re a bit late but we had a cancelation so we can squeeze you in.” The man ushered a very confused Blake into a room half full of people. 

“You’re from where again?” He asked as they walked quickly to the other end of the suite.

“… Tishomingo?” Blake responded, distracted by the people standing around the room.

“Tishomingo? Never heard of that publication.” He handed Blake a folder.

Blake looked down at the papers in his hand and realized what was happening here. Adam must have been doing press for a new album. 

“Sorry. That’s where we’re based.” He lied. “Truck and Tractor Magazine.” He smiled at the man. “I write the Entertainment and Arts section.” 

“Truck and Tractor magazine has an Entertainment section?” He asked in a bored tone.

“Truck drivers listen to music too.” Blake shrugged. Deciding not to question it further he led Blake to a door and pushed him through. 

“Truck and Tractor” He shouted into the room. “You’ve got 5 minutes.” 

Blake turned around and suddenly found himself once again alone in a room with Adam Levine. 

“Truck and Tractor?” Adam asked with an amused smile. 

“Sorry about that. He just handed me some stuff and I panicked.” 

“You apologize a lot. Is that a you thing or a Southern thing?” Adam questioned, walking closer to meet Blake by the door.

“There’s nothin’ wrong with having manners.” Blake shot back with a slight frown. 

“And I bet you’re the perfect Southern gentleman.” Blake felt thirsty all of a sudden. _Why is it so damn warm in here?_ He turned away and looked around the room. 

“Have a seat. I’m glad you were able to make it. Things have been crazy today. Sorry about Carson. He is crazy high-strung and likes to time everything to the last second. I thought we’d be done by now.” 

“That’s ok. I’m a little early actually.” Blake sat down on the couch across from Adam. That couch probably cost more than he’d make in a month. “I also wanted to return this to you.” 

Blake leaned forward and held out the bag. He tried not to jolt when Adam’s fingers brushed his. 

“Shit. You got it cleaned?” Adam pulled out the shirt in surprise. “You didn’t need to do that.” 

“I didn’t.” He admitted. “My roommate saw it and realized how much it was worth and took it to some dry cleaning guru he swears by.” 

“Well, thanks for bringing it back.” Adam placed it on a table. 

“Of course. It would’ve kept it but other than being 15 sizes too small for me, it’s not really my style.” Blake joked. 

“Don’t be dumb. You’re in perfectly good shape.” Adam scolded and looked him directly in the eye. Blake opened his mouth and closed it, not sure how to respond to that. 

_Did he just compliment the way I look?_

“So the reason I asked you here…” Adam changed the subject and broke eye contact. 

“I was wonderin', yeah…” 

“I feel a bit guilty.” Adam looked down at his hands. Blake shook his head in confusion. 

“What do you have to feel guilty about? I ran into you and ruined your shirt. Well, didn’t ruin it exactly, but I messed you up pretty good.” 

“That Stones record I bought off you.” 

“What about it?” Blake looked confused. 

“I knew you were undercharging me for it and I felt bad not saying anything.” 

“What’d I charge you? $25? What’s it worth? 50? Considering everything that happened I’d say we were even.” 

“Nah, man. Even if you’d ruined the shirt.” 

“What’s it worth then?” Blake asked curiously. 

“About 4 grand.” Adam admitted.

Blake’s eyes widened. “You’re joking, right? I got it from an estate sale back home and it’s been sitting on the rack since the store opened. You’re tellin' me it was worth that much the whole time?” 

Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door and Carson poked his head in. “You got everything you needed?” 

Blake stood up and looked back and forth between Adam and Carson. “Yeah just about.” 

“Great.” Carson looked at his watch. “You’ve got time for one more question.” 

Adam tried to hide his smile as Blake looked at him desperately. “Right. So um… if you had to choose between a truck or tractor… which would you choose?” 

_You fucking idiot!_

Carson looked at him with confusion and a touch of pity. 

Adam sat there with a shit eating grin on his face and pretended to think. “Hmm. Whichever is more fun… I’m always open to a good ride.” 

Blake was having a stroke. He was sure of it. Carson let out a scoff and rolled his eyes. 

“Well… um. Thanks for your time.” 

“Make sure to contact my people when your interview is out. I’d love to have a copy.” Adam teased. 

He looked over at Carson and bit his lip. There was more he wanted to say. So much more. But what came out was “It was nice to meet you.” He held his hand out and Adam grasped it in his. 

“You too, Blake.” Adam squeezed his hand a bit tighter. “Surreal... but nice.” He winked. 

Blake’s face suddenly felt hot with embarrassment. He couldn’t think of anything to say to that so he waved as Carson led him out of the room. That could’ve gone better, but it could’ve gone a helluva lot worse. Blake was making his way to leave the suite when Carson came out. 

“Hey… uh… Truck guy.” Blake turned and pointed to himself. 

“Yeah. You. The rest of the band is over there.” He pointed to another room at the other end of the suite. “You’ve got 10 minutes. As I said, we're running a bit behind so if you can try to get through your questions as quickly as possible.” 

He walked to the room, utter terror on his face. _Oh, shit_ was his first thought as he sat down across from the other members of Maroon 5. 

“This is... Blake?” Carson looked at him questioningly. When Blake nodded he continued, “He’s with Truck and Tractor magazine.” Carson introduced quickly and left the room. If they were thrown off by the fake magazine name they didn’t show it and motioned for Blake to sit. 

“Hey” Matt smiled kindly at him. 

“Hi” Blake waved, a cross between being star-struck and utterly horrified. “Um. Right. So…” They looked at him expectantly. 

“Congratulations on the upcoming album.” 

“Thanks, man. We’re really excited to be recording it in Nashville. We just finished writing the first track yesterday and should be recording within the next month or so.” James answered with a smile. Blake nodded and looked down at the papers in his hand. 

“So um… if you were to pick one song to play in a truck… or tractor… which song do you think would be best?” 

Jessie and James shared a look. Blake glanced over at the exit and briefly considered making a run for it. 

“I couldn’t say any one song in particular. They all would be pretty good for a long ride.” PJ responded.

Adam’s response suddenly came back to him. _Did they crank up the heat in this place even higher all of a sudden? Why was it so hot?_

“Well that’s great. I’m sure our readers will be very happy to hear that.” 

He wished he could say the questions got better from there. They didn’t. When Carson came back in the room five minutes later everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Blake didn’t take it personally. 

“All good, here?” Carson walked over. 

“Yupp.” Blake stood up quickly and hurried toward the exit. “Thanks so much for your time. On a bit of a deadline so...” He explained with an awkward laugh. 

“Actually...” Carson stopped him and raised an eyebrow at the utterly pained look on Blake’s face. “Adam asked me to send you back in for a second. He wanted to clarify an answer he gave.” 

Blake nodded dumbly and made his way to the other room, giving an awkward wave to the band as he passed. 

Carson opened the door for him and walked away to take a call. Blake entered the room, and saw Adam sitting on a chair texting. 

“Look, if it’s about the record don’t worry about it.” Adam looked up from his phone. “If it wasn’t you, I would’ve sold it to someone else at the same price. It’s not that big of a deal” Blake finished a bit uncomfortable by the whole situation. 

Adam gave him a curious look, and stood up from the chair. He walked up to Blake and looked behind him towards the door. 

“There a lot of people still left out there?” 

“What?” Blake had never felt more confused. 

“I’ve been stuck eating shitty pretentious hotel food for the last week and a half and I can use a break from it. Do you know of any good places to eat around here?” 

Blake had never been more confused in his life. “What?” 

“Food. The stuff you eat?” Adam said slowly. 

“This is a nice place, it can’t be all that bad.” He scratched his head, still not quite sure where this was going. 

“If I see another vegetable cut into the shape of a flower I’m going to scream.” Adam looked deadly serious and Blake believed him. _Why would anyone want to eat something that looked like a flower? Flowers weren’t for eating._

“That sounds awful.” Blake made a face. “I know a place we can go. It’s not super fancy but the food is good.” 

“I’ve had enough fancy, cowboy. I just need to finish these interviews and get Carson off my back and I should be free for the rest of the day.” 

“Alright. Did you want me to send the next person in or- -” Adam shook his head. 

“Nah, man. I don’t do solos. I’m sitting with the rest of the guys. Just wait here for me?” Carson opened the door. 

“Adam!” Carson looked ready to strangle him, or Blake, or both. 

“Dude, relax. I’m coming.” He walked quickly to the door. “Help yourself to whatever. Shouldn’t be long.” 

Adam closed the door with a soft click. Blake sat down on the couch and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starts to deviate from the movie plot a bit from here. This isn't beta'd as you can probably tell.


	6. Chapter 6

Adam wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as Blake relived the awkward five minute interview with the rest of the band. 

“I think at one point I even asked what song title would you put on a bumper sticker.” Blake took a long drink of his beer. Adam started laughing again. 

“That’s awful. I am so pissed I missed that.” 

“I'm sure. I thought it was a bit strange that the band was doing interviews in one room and you in the other.” 

“Is that right? Did you think I was a diva or something?” 

“I didn’t know what to think to be honest. This is all - -” Blake tried to find the words to describe what this all was but came up blank. 

“I get it.” Adam nodded. “I probably could’ve been a bit more truthful with Carson when I told him I was expecting you. I just told him what you looked like and to send you in to meet with me during our break in interviews. It didn’t occur to me that he’d think you were a reporter, let alone send you in with the guys after. Sorry about that.” 

Blake did actually believe he hadn’t done it on purpose. While he can admit now that the whole thing was actually pretty funny, he would not look forward to having to see any of them again. Not that he planned to, but like he told Adam, this was all very… 

“Oh fuck” Adam groaned as he bit off a piece of a BBQ rib. Blake’s eyes shot up and he felt his mouth go dry. 

“I can’t remember the last time I had something this good. I can’t believe this place isn’t packed.” There were about three or four other tables taken near the front of the bar but it was otherwise pretty empty. 

Blake smiled, intensely pleased that Adam liked the food. This was his favorite spot in Nashville and even though it looked like a hole in the wall, the food was amazing. He ran across it one night after he and Luke had gone out drinking. He tried to bring his ex-wife one time but she refused to even enter the place when he pulled up in front. Looking back on it, he’s glad she never went in. There were a few places around town that he couldn’t bear to enter anymore and was happy not to have added this place to that list. 

“The food is really great here. Décor is not much to look at.” Adam nodded and took a sip of his beer. 

“So, how long have you been in Nashville?” Adam licked the barbeque sauce off his lips. Blake was mesmerized. 

“Hmm?” He dragged his eyes back to meet Adam’s. 

“You mentioned an estate sale back home. I take it home isn’t Nashville?” 

“No. Tishomingo, well, Ada is where I was born and raised. I moved to Nashville about five years ago, but lived in Tishomingo for 10 years before that.” 

“Tishomingo...” 

“Oklahoma” Blake smiled proudly. Adam nodded. 

“Can’t say I’ve ever been to Oklahoma.” 

“I’ve got a ranch out there. Don’t get back there much lately with the store and all. Luke keeps tellin’ me to take some time off and I probably should but...” 

“That’s too bad. Luke’s your...” 

“Partner. Well, he’s my friend, and my partner.” 

“Oh.” Adam looked surprised. “That makes sense. I mean, you should probably be friends with the person you’re in a relationship with.” 

Blake coughed as he started choking on his beer. 

“What!? Relationship?” Blake looked confused and horrified. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or...” 

“BUSINESS partner!” Blake clarified firmly. “Luke helps me run the shop. There is nothin’ goin’ on there now or ever. I’ve known him my whole life. He’s like a brother to me.” 

Adam raised his hands up in surrender and Blake suddenly felt like an ass. To be fair it wasn’t the first time someone made that assumption. Blake was a touchy feely kind of a guy and it wasn’t hard to take it the wrong way sometimes. 

“So...” Adam wiped off his hands with the wet wipe and signaled for another two beers. “How does an Oklahoma boy end up in Nashville?” 

“It was my wife, actually.” Blake didn’t like to go into the details too much but he figured he’d never see Adam again after this so there was no harm. Adam nodded but sat there quietly waiting for him to continue. 

“We were in our mid 20’s when we got married and she always hated Oklahoma. Said it was too boring and she wanted more than just to be someone’s wife.” 

“Ouch” Adam winced.

“Yeah. I should’ve taken that as a sign but I was an idiot in love ya know?” 

“I know the feeling.” 

“I love Oklahoma, but I loved her more. She wanted to come out here and play music and make something of herself. She wanted a big city life and I just wanted her to be happy. So, I worked long hours on the ranch, and odd jobs around town and saved up for two years and I’ve been here ever since.” 

“I take it things didn’t go so well?” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“No ring.” Adam nodded towards Blake’s bare left hand. The tan line long since faded.

“Right.” Blake took a long sip of his beer. 

“I’m such a dick. I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it. I’m asking you a million personal questions and it’s really none of my business.” Adam’s face was slightly pink with embarrassment. 

“It’s fine. Shit happens. Anyway, I’ve still got the store. She let me keep that at least.” Blake tried not to let the bitterness show, but from the look Adam was giving him he hadn’t succeeded. 

“Anyway…” Blake quickly tried to change the subject. “Enough about me. Tell me about you.” 

“There is nothing about me you can’t read online or in a magazine.” Adam shrugged. 

“That’s not true.” 

“It unfortunately is.” Adam’s phone buzzed with a new text on the table. “It’s Carson.” Adam looked at him apologetically. 

“The life of a Rockstar never ends.” 

“Something like that.” He picked up the phone and fired a text back. 

“So… Why Nashville?” 

“We wanted to do something different and we all really liked the vibe out here and want to reflect that in the sound of the next album.” Blake could see the excitement in Adam’s eyes when he was talking about music. He wishes he could remember ever being so sure about something. 

“So the press stuff…” 

“Purely to drum up interest. Usually we’d wait until we were further along but since we’re taking a break from touring and will be here for a while Carson said…” Adam’s phone buzzed again. “It’s like he knows I’m talking about him.” Adam said exasperated. 

“Can I get you boys anything else?” Their server stopped at the table and picked up the empty plates.

“We’re all set. Just the check please.” Blake answered as he saw the slight frown on Adam’s face as he stared at the text. He responded and put it back down with an eye roll. 

When the check was placed on the table between them they reached for it at the same time. 

“I invited you. I pay.” Adam argued. 

“I can pay my share. This isn’t a date.” Blake countered. 

Adam opened his mouth to respond but his phone went off again. 

“Nice try, but I’m paying. Give me a second.” Adam put his credit card down and handed it to the server as he went to make a call. 

Blake watched Adam walk to a quieter spot in the back near the restrooms. Whatever he and Carson, he assumes that’s who he called, were talking about Adam looked annoyed about it. Blake looked away quickly and pretended he hadn’t been watching him when Adam returned to the table. 

“Sorry about that.” Adam signed the receipt and left a very generous tip. “He’s a great guy but also a huge pain in my ass.” 

“I hope everything’s alright.” Blake gave him a look of concern as they headed out the door. 

“It’s fine. He likes to keep me on a short leash sometimes… and I may have not told him I was leaving.” He finished with a mischievous grin. 

They stood out in front of the restaurant watching the cars drive by. Adam put his hat and glasses on, but it didn’t do much to hide his identity. The tattoos were a dead giveaway. 

“Thanks for this.” Blake turned to look at Adam and wished he wasn’t wearing those glasses. “This was honestly the best meal I’ve had in months.” 

They walked over to where their cars were parked. Blake’s beat up old pickup next to Adam’s luxury rental. One more reminder that he had no business knowing this man. They had decided on separate cars after Adam failed to convince Blake to squeeze into his tiny car. He made an excuse that he had to get right back to work after lunch and that it would be best if they each took their own cars. 

“I’m in town for the next few months or so. Maybe I’ll see you around, yeah?” 

‘Yeah. That sounds good.” Blake said knowing that he was likely never going to see him again. 

It must’ve shown on his face because Adam looked at him for a moment before walking back to where Blake was standing near his truck. 

“Give me your phone.” Blake handed it to Adam without a word and watched as Adam created a new contact and entered his phone number. “Figure I’d save you the trouble from having to call 20 different hotels to track me down in case they move us.” 

“It wasn’t twenty.” Blake didn’t care that he was smiling like an idiot because Adam was smiling right back. 

“See ya around, cowboy.” Adam got into his car and drove away with a wave. Blake looked down at Adam’s number in his phone and fired off a quick text. 

“See ya!” 

Adam responded 10 minutes later with an emoji of a tractor. Blake’s grin lasted the rest of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

When Blake drove away from the restaurant over a month ago he was convinced that he’d never hear from Adam again. Having just hung up with his cell phone provider he could not have been more wrong. Three days ago he got his phone bill in the mail and realized that if he was going to continue whatever this thing was with Adam he needed to up his talk and text on his phone plan. 

Blake was not much of a talker or a texter, but Adam did enough of that for the both of them. During the day Adam would send him dozens of messages talking about everything that came into his head at any given time. He’d spout random streams of consciousness that Blake didn’t think he needed to respond to but did anyway. Sometimes in the middle of the night Adam would leave him voicemails humming to lyrics only Adam knew and asked which he liked better. Those were his favorite messages to wake up to. The first time Adam did it he stayed in bed longer than he probably should have and listened to it on repeat. He almost ended up late for work that morning and was glad CeeLo didn’t do anything more than give him a knowing smile as he rushed out the door.

It was a short drive to the shop from his apartment but some mornings Adam insisted on Blake describing everything he saw on the way. Adam complained that he didn’t get out much and that this was necessary for his creative process. Blake reminded him that he had been on this drive and in his truck before so he shouldn’t have to describe everything to him.

“Yeah, but at the time I was distracted by trying not to get murdered.” Adam argued. 

“One of these days you’re gonna have to let that go,” Blake said as he walked into the front door of his shop. 

“Sadly, today is not one of those days.” Adam responded with a melodramatic sigh.

“Look, I gotta go.” he rolled his eyes at Luke who was doing a terrible job pretending he wasn’t trying to listen to Blake’s call. “Talk to you later.” He hung up the call and placed his phone back in the left chest pocket on his red flannel shirt. 

“Oooh. Who is she?” Luke teased as he put down the duster he was using to clean. He had a little hop to his step that Blake did not like the look of at all. 

“He” Blake corrected “is just a friend.”

“A friend?” Luke gave him a look that clearly said that he didn’t believe him. “Well, I’m your friend and you don’t ever smile like that when you’re talkin’ to me on the phone.”

“How the hell would you know?” Blake raised his voice.

“You ever try yellin’ and smilin’ at the same time?” Luke crossed his arms and Blake’s mouth closed. “Exactly!”

“It’s nothin’.” Blake walked past him and grabbed the mail off the counter. 

“I’ll mind my business...” Luke put his hands up.

“Good! Keep doing that.”

“But it’s nice to see you smilin’. It’s been a while.” Blake had nothing to say to that. He was right. It had been awhile since he felt this good and Luke **_would_** be the first to notice. 

Blake and Luke’s parents grew up together until Luke’s family moved away when he was a baby. While Luke lived with his family in Georgia they’d often come to visit Oklahoma and stay with the Shelton’s during vacations and holidays. The two boys were inseparable. and Luke would eventually be best man at his wedding. Though for a very short time he almost wasn’t.

_Luke had never liked his ex-wife. He never outright said it, but Blake could tell from the look on his face whenever she was around that he didn’t have particularly nice thoughts about her. He kept that to himself until the night of his bachelor party when he drunkenly begged Blake to reconsider marrying her. He warned him that she wasn’t a good person, and that she was manipulative and mean and that she’d eventually break his heart._

_They’d gotten into a huge fight that night and Blake had told him he didn’t want him to come to his wedding and he sure as shit didn’t want him as his best man anymore. Luke had walked out and Blake was sure he’d gone back to Georgia and wouldn’t speak to him again._

_He did though. The day of his wedding Blake had freaked out that he was going to stand up at the altar with no best man by his side. He didn’t want to put anyone else in that spot. As Blake walked out to take his place he saw Luke standing there in his tuxedo, a goofy smile on his face._

_Blake walked up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you.” He breathed a sigh of relief._

_“Don’t know how you planned on getting married without rings, dumbass.” Luke pulled the rings out of his pocket. Blake looked horrified. “Don’t worry, man. I’ve always got your back. No matter what.”_

_After Blake had gotten divorced Luke moved to Nashville to help him out with the store. He never threw any “I told you so’s” in his face. He begged Blake to stay with him at his studio apartment, but after two weeks of that he wanted to pull his hair out. He loved Luke like a brother, but he needed his own space and being on top of each other all day at work and then at home, especially when going through a rough time emotionally, wasn’t in either of their best interests._

“So…” Luke gave him a goofy smile.

“So…?” Blake repeated.

“Guys, huh?” Luke gave him a playful elbow in his side.

“I’m… he’s not…” Blake stuttered, and failed to find the words to explain his relationship with Adam.

“It’s cool, man. I’m just gonna have to get over that fact that I’m not the love of your life anymore.”

“You’re always gonna be the love of my life.” Blake shrugged. “But in the same way I love… barbecue ribs” 

“Bone in? You dirty boy!” Luke teased.

“Jesus Christ, Luke! You know what I meant.” Blake pushed him away.

“Yeah, you’ve been wantin' to sink your teeth into this hillbilly bone. But it’s fine. You’ve already moved on, it looks like.”

“The only fuckin’ you’re gonna get is fired if you don’t get back to work. I told you, he’s a friend. We’re not talkin' about this. For once in your life can you just mind your own damn business?”

Luke looked at him like it was the most ridiculous thing he could’ve ever asked him. 

“Look, man. Remember what I said?” Blake looked at him reluctantly. **“No matter what.”** Luke stressed with the most sincere expression Blake had seen on him since the day of his wedding. Blake nodded slightly and Luke went back to work, giving him two rough pats on his shoulder on the way. 

He felt the vibration of a new text message against his chest. It was Adam with his daily photo message of something gross that he had just eaten. Some days he would text Blake photos of his lunches and beg Blake to come and save him from flower radishes and micro greens. 

Blake would mostly respond with sympathy and vomit face emojis. Once he responded with a picture of steak he had just grilled and Adam joked that he wanted to FaceTime him while he ate it. At least he thought it was a joke until his phone lit up and Adam’s face appeared.

“I’m not gonna sit here and eat this steak with you watchin’ me. It’s just weird.”

“Bllaaaaake.” Adam whined. “You’re killing me! Can you at least tell me what it smells like?”

“Smells like steak.” Blake shrugged.

“Ugh. That’s what I was afraid of. Couldn’t you have said it smelled like hot garbage or something to ease my pain?” He had to admit that Adam did look miserable. He didn’t understand why Adam was on such a strict diet when he was already so tiny. 

“You’re right. It does smell a little sour. Probably should’ve cooked it a few days ago. Not sure it’s any good. Might just toss it.” 

“See, was that so hard?” Adam shoved a forkful of something green in his mouth and made a look of disgust. “I am so sick of salad. Can we go back to that barbecue spot? I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks.”

“And I keep tellin’ you that all you gotta do is name a time and we’ll go.” They’d tried to make plans to meet up but Adam was really busy writing and working in the studio so it just hadn’t happened. 

Blake knew it was ridiculous to be disappointed. The fact that he even got this was still somehow unbelievable to him. He’d take what he could get. Even if it was just texts and the occasional video call. 

“I know. I’m such a dick.” Adam said apologetically. “ Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your shitty steak. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, it’s awful.” Blake said as he took a bite. Adam threw his head back and groaned. 

“You’re the worst. I’ll talk to you soon.” He ended the call before Blake could respond. 

That was two weeks ago and they still haven’t managed to meet up. 

“You could just order delivery.” Blake texted him with a frown face after it.

“You’re a goddamn genius!” Adam responded quickly. Blake sent an eye roll as a response. He didn’t hear from Adam again until an hour later when he sent a before and after picture of his burger.

“Feel better?” Blake answered his phone on the first ring.

“I’m going to write a song about that burger.” Adam sighed in contentment.

“That good?” Blake laughed and grabbed a stack of albums Luke had just organized and began to put them away.

“No it was terrible. The cheese wasn’t melted all the way and it was greasy as fuck.” 

“And yet…”

“I could’ve eaten three of them.” He heard the sound of a door opening and Adam rustling around quickly.

“Are you serious?” Blake heard an exasperated voice in the background that he recognized by now to be his manager’s voice. The phone became muffled but he heard the tail end of the conversation. 

“... not canceling another day in the studio because you’re having stomach issues.”

“Look, man. I gotta go. I think my dad’s gonna ground me.” He said in a sarcastic voice that Blake found annoyingly adorable.

“Have fun with that. Call me when you’re allowed to come out and play.” Blake froze and his face immediately burned. 

“Kinky.” Adam let out a loud laugh. “I’ll talk to you later.” The call ended. Blake looked up and saw Luke smiling at him again.

“Call me when you’re allowed to come out and play.” He mocked in a high pitched voice. “Just friends my ass.” He walked into the office and Blake vowed he was going to fire him. He looked down at the new picture message which was just of Carson looking into the camera like he was going to strangle Adam. 

Tomorrow. Blake decided. He’d fire him tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

“You’re telling me you NEVER played Basketball in High School?” Adam couldn’t believe it. He looked at Blake with eyes wide in complete disbelief that someone of his size had never taken advantage of it.

“Believe it.” Blake said for the third time in the last 20 minutes.

Earlier that morning Adam had called him complaining that the hotel didn’t carry any of the premium sports channels and it had been weeks since he got to watch a Lakers game. That somehow turned into talk of sports in general, which led to Blake admitting that he didn’t participate in any physical activity in High School, or at all really. 

After some heavy pleading Adam convinced Blake to meet him at the gym near his hotel since it had a basketball court and he needed to get some of the weeks stress out of his system. Being that it was Sunday and Luke usually opened up on the weekends Blake couldn’t use work as an excuse to keep from embarrassing himself. He reluctantly agreed to meet Adam but insisted on only watching.

That lasted for about 25 minutes. Adam demanded that Blake join in because he needed some defense to actually break a sweat. Blake pointed out that he wasn’t prepared to play as he was wearing cowboy boots and jeans. 

“I thought you’d say that!” Adam dragged him into the locker room and handed him a bag which contained sweatpants and a t-shirt. They couldn’t do anything about the shoes but at least he could move around a bit.

When Blake walked back out on the court Adam did his best not to outright laugh at Blake in sweats and cowboy boots. Blake leveled a glare at him and Adam sunk a shot with a huge grin on his face.

“How did you talk them into lettin' you in here alone?” Blake tossed the ball back to Adam.

“I didn’t.” Adam took a run towards the hoop and made a clean layup. “Carson got sick of my bitching and probably promised the manager my first born or something.” He sent the ball over to Blake with a single bounce.

“I told you. I am not athletic at all. I have zero coordination. I’d’ve ended up in the hospital sittin' on the sidelines.” Blake warned. 

“But you’re like 8 feet tall!” Adam shouted. The basketball looked practically tiny in his huge hands and Blake had never felt more awkward.

“I am NOT 8 feet tall. Don’t be an idiot.” Blake dribbled the ball twice, took a shot and missed by a mile. Adam looked at the hoop, and then the basketball as it rolled away, and then finally at Blake with the saddest look he’d ever seen.

“What a perfectly good waste of height.” He shook his head.

“Real funny, tiny.” Blake walked over to grab the ball and then tossed it to Adam who began to spin it between his fingers. It was clear he was showing off and Blake did his best not to think about what else those fingers would be good at. Not going there. Especially not while wearing sweatpants. 

“For your information, Sasquatch… I’m like 6 feet. That’s taller than the male average.”

“Hmm… sounds like a statistic only short people would know.” Adam scoffed at that and charged again towards the hoop. “From where I’m standin' you don’t look an inch over 5’7” Adam faltered at that comment as the basketball hit the rim and bounced off. 

“The fuck, man!” Blake laughed at him. “I am WAY taller than 5 '7!” Adam looked horrified at the insinuation. 

“You have no proof.” Blake teased Adam, shaking his head in amusement at how red his face had gotten.

“Fuck you! No proof!?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, Siri. How tall is Adam Levine?”

“Adam Levine is 6 feet tall.” The robotic woman’s voice responded from his phone. 

“Ha!” Adam held out his phone to show Blake as if he didn’t just hear it echo in the room.

“That’s not fair!” Blake whined. “I can’t compete with creepy technology!”

“Perks of being famous, baby! The internet knows more about you than your own mother.” He looked down at his phone with a frown and then put it back in his pocket. Blake walked over and grabbed their water bottles and handed Adam one.

“That’s gotta be weird sometimes?” Blake asked gently.

“More than sometimes.” Adam took a long gulp. They stood there quietly for a few moments before Adam continued. 

“I was dating this woman a few years ago and I remember the anniversary of our first date was coming up but I couldn’t remember when it was. It was driving me nuts because I knew she wanted to do something but I couldn’t for the life of me remember when it was and I wasn't going to ask her. I knew the ballpark of it but not the exact date. Who the fuck remembers when a first date was or when you first met someone?” Adam asked in genuine confusion.

 _‘October 9th’_ Blake answered in his head. He could remember the date Adam walked into his shop like it was tattooed on his arm. Not that he would ever admit that shit out loud. Pushing that out of his head he listened as Adam continued his story, saying how he couldn’t concentrate on writing because it was stressing him out so much.

“James got so annoyed with me that he googled it and sure as shit the anniversary of our first date, pictures included, were on the internet.”

“Shit.” Blake envied a lot of things about Adam’s life. That wasn’t one of them.

“Tell me about it.” Adam took another long gulp of water and crushed the empty bottle in his hand. “Another half hour?” Adam changed the subject and turned to Blake questioningly. 

For some reason Adam wanted to hang out with him and he was too chicken shit to ask why. They didn’t have much in common and Blake was clearly terrible at basketball. If he wanted a challenging game he picked the wrong person. He was about to tell him this when he noticed the hopeful look on Adam’s face. 

“Sure.” Blake took one last sip of his water and got back on the court. They decided to play HORSE and Blake was thankful that he didn’t have to run around and scuff up the court with his boots.

Even standing completely still he was terrible. Adam took it easy on him until the last shot. He did a hook shot from the three point line and it rolled around the rim. Blake was sure it was going to roll out but it didn’t. 

“FUCK YES!” Adam shouted. 

“You just like to see me humiliated. I know it.” Blake groaned and started to walk away.

“Maybe.” Adam laughed. “Last shot. Make it count.” 

Not even bothering to match Adam’s shot he flung it towards the hoop from center court. There was a moment of silence as it sailed through the air and then swished through the net with barely a sound. 

They both stood there in shock and disbelief. The silence only broken by the ball bouncing to a stop near the wall.

“Are you fucking KIDDING ME!?” Adam shouted finally. Blake snapped out of it and started to laugh so hard he felt actual stomach pains. 

“Looks like I won that one.” Blake wiped the tears from his eyes. Adam ran over and picked up the ball and stared at it in betrayal. 

“I watched you miss the hoop completely when you were standing right under it. AND YOU ARE TALL ENOUGH TO TOUCH IT!” Adam looked at Blake with his big shit eating grin and smiled back. 

“Next time, Big Country. I’m gonna kick your ass.” Adam pointed at him with a smile.

“Oh you kicked it plenty. I got my one shot in and I am officially retirin' on a high. I don’t think I am ever gonna touch another basketball again for the rest of my life.” Blake grabbed the empty water bottles and headed towards the locker room so that they could grab their stuff from the lockers. 

Adam had to head back to the studio so they didn’t have time to go out for lunch. It had been weeks since they were able to hang out and Adam didn’t want the day to end and insisted that Blake come back to the studio with him. They were laying down the second track of their album and he really wanted Blake’s opinion. 

Trying not to sound too eager Blake agreed. He had to stop by his shop to pick up something and talk to Luke about closing up and then run home and shower quickly but promised that he’d drop by after.

Blake tried his hardest to keep a blank look on his face as he entered the store. He didn’t want Luke to get any more ideas about who he’s been hanging out with. Luke looked up from his magazine and his face immediately scrunched up like he just smelled something terrible.

“This look…” he flailed out a hand in Blake’s general direction. “Is this a midlife crisis thing? What in hell are you wearin'?” 

Blake looked down and winced. He hadn’t had time to change back into his normal clothes and could admit he looked completely ridiculous in a pair of cowboy boots, grey sweatpants and an LA Lakers t-shirt.

“And when in the hell do you care about basketball? Do I need to call Kelly? She can be here in 24 hours if we need to have an intervention.” Luke looked him up and down with an actual look of disgust on his face.

“Will you shut the hell up.” Blake interrupted. “I went out to lunch with CeeLo and a server tripped and dropped a whole plate of spaghetti on me by accident. This is the only thing they had in my size.” 

“Spaghetti?” Blake could tell Luke didn’t believe a word of it but decided not to push it.

“Alright” he said and went back to his magazine. Blake walked past him into his office and grabbed the bottle of expensive cologne his ex had gotten him several years ago but was too fancy for him to consider wearing. It had been in his desk drawer ever since. 

“I need you to close up, s’that ok?” Blake headed towards the door. 

“Yeah, I got it.” Luke looked up at him one more time with suspicion. “You sure we don’t need to have an intervention?”

Blake rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him a little harder than he needed to.

He didn’t know why he couldn’t tell Luke who he’d been spending time with. It’s not like Adam asked him to keep it a secret or anything. The truth was this whole thing felt fragile and unreal. Like everyone knowing would somehow make Adam realize that he could do a lot better things with his time than waste it on a redneck nobody like him. 

There wasn’t a whole lot in his life that he looked forward to, but this last month and a half was probably the happiest he’s been in years. If he had to keep this to himself for the rest of his life he would.

He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and turned around to look at Luke through the window with confusion. 

“What the hell do you want now?” Blake answered in annoyance.

“I love you Blake, but you look so stupid in those clothes and if you don’t walk away from the store right now I’m afraid people might think I that know you.” Luke said with such sincerity that Blake rolled his eyes.

“Remind me to fire you after you’re done closing tonight.” Blake shot him the middle finger which Luke happily returned and hung up the phone.

Blake rushed over to his truck and made his way back home. He really needed to get out of these damn clothes.


	9. Chapter 9

Blake made it to the recording studio a little over two hours after he and Adam split up after the gym. He felt flustered, not just at the thought of seeing the band again after the last disastrous meeting, but from the interaction he had with CeeLo before leaving the house.

He walked in the door to find CeeLo in the kitchen brushing his fur coat. 

“Hey man.” Blake waved as he flipped through the mail.

“Luke called.” CeeLo’s voice was tinged with amusement. Blake took in a deep breath, almost afraid to let it out.

“Oh?” Blake said carefully.

“He asked if someone really spilled spaghetti on you during our lunch that we went to today.” CeeLo gave him a mischievous grin. At least he thought it was mischievous. It was hard to tell most days. He always looked like that.

“Yeah about that…” Blake started to nervously explain. CeeLo put his hand up to stop him.

“Luckily the restaurant said they were going to reimburse us for our dry cleaning bill on account of getting sauce on my new Gucci shoes.” The pressure in Blake’s chest didn’t go away completely, but it had lessened dramatically. He had never loved CeeLo more, but he felt his face turning so red he could likely fry an egg on it. He knew he had to tell him. He’d understand and after everything he owed him the honesty. 

“Look, CeeLo. I’ve been…” CeeLo stopped him again.

“You don’t have nothing to explain, baby.” He stopped himself and gave Blake a once over. “Except maybe those clothes.” Blake rolled his eyes but laughed. 

“Either way, I owe you one!” Blake rushed to take a quick shower and change. On the way out despite his better judgement he sprayed himself lightly with the bottle of cologne. 

As he walked out the door he could swear he heard CeeLo shout “Ooooh, baby” but knowing CeeLo he could just as easily have been talking to a hat.

When Blake got to the studio he gave the girl at the front desk his name and still could barely believe it when she didn’t even blink or question who he was. She just looked down at a sheet and then smiled and directed him towards a room in the back.

Blake ran his fingers against the wall like he could feel the music of his idols seeped into the grain of the wood. He never felt less worthy to be somewhere in his life.

He didn’t get to dwell on that too much longer before he heard Adam’s overexcited voice and the sound of chattering. He walked into the room and waved at Adam and the band. 

“You made it!” Adam shouted at him from a chair and waved him in.

“Oh… hi.” James looked at him funny. “I remember you. The bumper sticker guy” He pointed at Blake in recognition. 

“That’s me.” Blake smiled so awkwardly he must’ve looked like an idiot. Wouldn’t be the first time he made an ass in front of the band.

“I’m kidding, man. Adam told us everything.” James stuck his hand out with a welcoming smile. “James. I’d apologize for Adam but you have to know what you’re in for by now.”

Blake took his hand in a firm handshake and laughed. He went around the room reintroducing himself to the band. They all spent the next 20 minutes joking around until they got the go ahead from Max, their producer. Adam practically sprung up in excitement. 

Blake sat on the couch not wanting to get in anyone’s way. He watched in fascination as the band set up and got into their positions. After a few minutes Adam gave the thumbs up that they were ready to go and Max counted them in. Once the music started Blake tapped his feet along with the beat.

It wasn't until Adam started singing that Blake’s eyes lit up in recognition. Judging from the look on Adam’s face he was pleased that Blake had caught it. This was the song Adam had been humming to his voicemail for the last few weeks. Blake hummed along as if he already knew the words. 

_But if I fall for you, I'll never recover  
If I fall for you, I'll never be the same_

If Blake didn’t know how hard Adam worked on his songs he’d be jealous of how effortless he made it all seem. He just had this way with words that Blake would never come close to. When it was still just a lyricless tune Blake knew it was going to be a hit.

_I think about you every single day  
I know we're only halfway there  
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way_

It was almost insane that he was allowed to be a part of this. To see how Adam’s whole body vibrates with pure passion for what he’s doing. Adam was born to be a performer and even if he never sees Adam again once he goes back home, he’s so unbelievably grateful that he at least gets to keep this with him. 

_I don't know where to start, I'm just a little lost  
I wanna feel like we're never gonna ever stop  
I don't know what to do, I'm right in front of you  
Asking you to stay, you should stay, stay with me tonight, yea_

Adam glanced at Blake and he looked almost nervous. Did he think he wouldn’t like the song? Blake gave him a thumbs up and a big supportive smile. He was always and will always be a country guy but he could appreciate a great song when he heard one. He was always aware of how talented Adam was and to see the final product of what he’d clearly put a lot of heart into was extremely flattering.

_Oh, oh, oh, oh oh oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh oh oh  
Take me all the way, if you take me all the way yeah..._

“That was great, guys. Let’s take five and then go again from the top.” Blake jumped at Max’s voice. He got so lost in the song that he forgot where he was for a moment. He looked over and saw Jesse giving him a weird look. He didn’t have much time to think about that because Adam was waving him into the booth. He looked over at Max to make sure it was ok and he gave him a nod of approval.

“Here.” Adam moved his stool to the corner. “The sound here is amazing. You gotta sit in here for the next one. It’ll fucking blow your mind!” Adam grabbed Blake’s arm and practically forced him onto the stool. 

“Am I even allowed to be in here for that?” Blake looked around nervously. He had no idea how much these sessions cost but he knew it wasn’t cheap and he didn’t want to risk messing anything up.

“It’s fine,” Matt assured him. “Just try to be as quiet as you can.” Blake nodded and sat down gently as possible even though they hadn’t started recording yet.

When he got himself situated he looked over at Jesse who was still giving him in that same strange look. Blake wiped his face with his hand in case he had some food or something on him.

“Did you like the song, Blake?” Jesse asked and continued to look at him like he was a puzzle he couldn’t solve.

“Yeah, y'all sound amazin'! The song’s great! Adam left me a few voicemails hummin’ it but actually hearin' it with the music and the lyrics.” Blake did look properly amazed. Adam looked up at the ceiling in embarrassment as Jesse and James gave Adam the same incredulous look. Blake wanted to slap himself in the face. He probably shouldn’t have said that. He wasn’t sure if Adam was supposed to keep his songs some kind of secret before they were recorded and released. 

Before he could apologize they got the go ahead from Max that he was ready to go again. Blake sat completely still afraid that even his breathing would be caught on the recording. 

The music started again and Adam was right. The music sounded good from outside the room but from inside… it’s like he could feel the song in his chest. 

_I really wanna love somebody  
I really wanna dance the night away_

Blake closed his eyes and took the song in and felt a tightness in his chest. More than anything he wished that there was someone out there who cared so much about him that they’d want to write a song about it. He opened his eyes and met Adam’s concerned gaze. Blake smiled and quietly hummed along. If it ended up on the recording, so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was short. (Shrugs)


	10. Chapter 10

Blake rushed from his car to the front door of his apartment, shopping bags heavy with the food he should’ve started cooking a half an hour ago. Adam was set to show up any minute for dinner.

He had one customer come in ten minutes before closing and he would not leave without looking at every single damn record they had in the store. Blake looked at his watch, and then at the clock on the wall, and then at the time on his phone about forty five times before the guy finally brought his purchases up to the counter.

Blake spent the entire time kicking himself for telling Luke he could leave early. He ended up closing forty minutes later than he normally would have. He made a dash over to the butcher to pick up two large steaks and then to the grocery store for ingredients to make loaded baked potatoes. 

He maneuvered his bags to one hand to get his keys out. As soon as he cracked the door open he heard the sounds of two peoples laughter. _Fuck_.

Blake made his way into the kitchen and put the bags down on the counter. CeeLo and Adam were sitting at the kitchen table and both turned to smile at him.

“Hey. You’re early.” Blake stated the obvious.

“He was standing around outside. I let him in before the poor man got spotted.” CeeLo explained. Blake nodded and looked between them awkwardly. CeeLo wasn’t supposed to be back until late. He’d have a field day grilling him about this later.

“Hey, man.” Blake looked at CeeLo. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. Are you staying for dinner?” Blake asked hoping to God he’d say no.

“Nah, baby. I just came to get my good wig. I’ll be out of your hair faster than I can change mine.” With that CeeLo grabbed the yellow wig off the table, placed it on his head, and stood.

“It was nice to meet you.” He and Adam did some strange handshake that Blake was not at all jealous over.

“You too.” CeeLo looked at Blake and raised his eyebrows. “Enjoy.” He called out as he shut the door behind him leaving the two of them alone. They were both quiet for a moment.

“So” Blake grabbed a beer out of the fridge and handed one to Adam. “You’ve met CeeLo.”

“He might be the coolest person I’ve ever met.” Adam responded with excitement. “I seriously can’t even believe you two are friends. It’s mind blowing!”

“I told you he was eccentric.” Blake reminded him.

“You did… but honestly, when I came here the first time and saw the feather boas all over the place and that regal ass cat I may have assumed they were yours and that you just made up the roommate.” Adam admitted while said regal ass cat was currently sitting asleep in his lap.

“You thought I...What would I even…” Blake could barely wrap his mind around that.

“What do you two even talk about?” Adam asked curiously.

“Lots of stuff.” Blake shrugged. “He’s pretty easy to talk to.”

“He was telling me about these parties he throws and you wouldn’t believe all the famous people that go. I’m actually slightly offended that I’ve never been invited”

“He says it’s kind of one big jam session for big names and up and comers.” Blake recalled.

“You’ve never been?” Adam looked surprised.

“No.” Blake let out a very loud laugh at the notion. “He invites me all the time but I’ve never gone.”

“Why?” Adam attempted to stand but the cat stuck her claws in and he immediately sat back down.

“The 100% chance that I’d make a complete idiot of myself. I don’t know how to talk to famous people.”

“I’m a famous person. You’re talking to me just fine.” Adam pointed out.

“You’re different.” 

“It’s not different at all. Anyway, I think we should go.”

“No, Adam. I can’t.” Blake didn’t want to go into this but Adam was persistent. 

“It sounds like fun. I can introduce you around. It’s not a big deal.”

“I just can’t. It’s… complicated.” Adam took one look at Blake’s face and backed off. Blake took a long sip of his beer and decided the hell with it.

“It’s my ex.” Blake looked down at his boots. “She goes sometimes. I’ve seen her in the background of some of the pictures CeeLo showed me.”

“Why wouldn’t he kick her out?” 

“He doesn’t know. She changed her name when she started playing bigger shows and he only knows her last name as Shelton.”

“You should tell him. If he knew he’d probably...”

“I know what he’d do.” Blake interrupted. “He’s a good friend. Part of letting that part of my life go is not thinking about her and letting her live her life like I’m trying to live mine.”

“Fuck, man. I’m sorry.” Adam stood again, this time able to put the cat down gently before she got her nails into him again. “Enough about her.” Adam wiped off the cat hair from his jeans and clapped his hands together in excitement. “I believe I was promised some steak.”

Blake grinned and went to take everything out of the shopping bags. “There’s a cast iron pan in the closet behind you. Can you grab it?”

Adam nodded and went to look for the pan while Blake washed his hands in the sink. 

“What do you need me to do?” Adam asked as he placed the pan on the stove.

“Nothin’” Blake turned the oven on to preheat while he prepared the potatoes. “You can watch tv if you want. I can get you when it’s ready.”

“Dude.” Adam gave him a soft tap on the arm. “I came over to hang out with you. I could watch tv at the hotel.”

“I thought you came over for steak?” Blake teased.

“Delicious bonus.” Adam smiled back. “Come on. Put me to work.”

Blake nodded and set Adam to chop up some bacon for the potatoes. They worked quickly to get everything done, talking about how their days went and what their plans were for the upcoming weekend. It was nice. Almost domestic even. Blake couldn’t remember the last time he just talked about his day to someone.

“How’re the potatoes lookin’?” Blake asked as he seasoned the steak with some salt and pepper and started to heat up the skillet. Adam crouched down to check the oven and gave Blake a thumbs up. 

“Looks about done. Maybe another 10 minute or so.” He closed the door and moved away from the stove so Blake could get to work on the steaks. 

Once the pan was hot he poured in some oil and waited for it to slightly smoke. 

“That’s not burning is it?” Adam looked over Blake’s shoulder. Blake didn’t say anything, just gave him an unimpressed look. “Ok. You’re the master. Continue.” 

He placed the steaks in and waited about a minute and a half and flipped it. “How’d’ya like it?” 

“Medium rare.” Adam responded.

“City boy.” Blake shook his head in amusement. Adam stook up his middle finger at Blake but said nothing else. He just stood slightly next to him to watch him cook the steaks.

He sliced off a big chunk of butter and put it in the pan to baste it for another minute. 

“Fuck that smells amazing.” Adam said as his mouth watered. Blake had never felt more pleased with himself.

He pulled his rare steak out to let it rest and allowed Adam’s to cook for another minute and a half. He poked at it with his finger, and satisfied that it was a perfect medium rare set it aside to rest next to Blake’s. He then pulled the potatoes out of the oven and set them cool down on the stove top.

Adam grabbed some plates and opened several drawers until he found the silverware. Blake smiled at him like he was the cutest and dumbest thing he’s ever seen. “You could’ve told me which drawer.” Adam rolled his eyes when he noticed the amused look on Blake’s face.

“You could’ve asked.” Blake shot back and sliced the steaks. He grabbed Adam’s plate and loaded him up with steak and a potato before grabbing his own plate and sitting down at the table.

They were both about to dig in before Blake shouted, “Wait!” Adam froze.

He got up and grabbed something from the counter before placing it on top of the steak.

“What the fuck is that?” Adam asked as he poked at it with his fork.

“Parsley.” Blake said.

“Why didn’t you put any on yours?” Adam looked so confused it was frankly adorable.

“This way when Carson gives you shit, you can tell him you actually ate something green.” Blake explained. Adam grinned so brightly it was almost blinding.

“You are one brilliant son of a bitch and don’t let anyone tell you any differently!” Adam pointed at him with his fork before stabbing a piece of steak and taking a bite.

“Holy shit.” Adam moaned. “This is amazing.” 

Blake refused to look up and chose to look down at his steak instead. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I have already decided. You’re selling your store and moving in with me and making me steak every night until I die of congestive heart failure.” Adam took a bite of the potato and made an equally obscene noise. 

Blake did look up this time. He never claimed to be a strong man. 

“If you’re not going to eat that I will.” Adam pretended to reach out to Blake’s plate with his fork. Blake pulled it back towards him out of Adam’s reach and started eating.

They ate their dinner while Adam questioned Blake on all the things he knew how to cook which were a lot surprisingly. He grew up in the kitchen and in front of the grill with both of his parents who insisted that he learn how to cook for himself. They tried to teach his sister Kelly but that didn’t last long.

“She’d burn water with the stove off.” Blake explained with a laugh.

“Do you think she did that on purpose so that she wouldn’t have to cook?” Adam laughed back. 

“Shit.” Blake looked at him with eyes wide as if that never occurred to him before. “I think you might be right. I have half a mind to call her right now.”

“What’s she like?” Adam grabbed their plates and put them in the sink.

“You don’t have to do that.” Blake stood up quickly and went to take the sponge from Adam’s hands. 

“You cooked. Relax. Tell me about your sister.” Blake still looked uncomfortable with Adam washing dishes but let it go.

“She is like…” Blake took a second to find the right words. “You know when you light a firework and instead of going straight up it just goes all over the place. It’s loud and bright and probably a bit dangerous? That’s Kelly.”

“And what does that make you?” Adam asked. Blake didn’t have to think long on that.

“One of those big ones that look like they’ll make a lot of noise but really just fizzle out after one shot.” He shrugged.

“That’s complete bullshit.” Adam shut off the water and dried his hands on the kitchen towel. 

“Well what am I then?” Blake crossed his arms and leaned back on the counter. Adam looked at him and then smiled.

“You’re like a campfire.” 

“A campfire?” Blake repeated.

“Exactly.” Adam pointed at him but didn’t elaborate. 

“You gonna tell me what the hell that means?” Blake asked him like he was talking to a 10 year old.

“No. Not really.” Adam walked into the living room. “You got Netflix?” He shouted back at Blake.

Blake stood in the kitchen and rolled his eyes. “That depends on whether or not you’re in the mood to spend an hour and half trying to find something.”

“Good point.” He tossed the remote to Blake who sat down next to him on the couch. “You pick something.”

Blake turned on the tv and flipped through the guide to see if there was anything good on. He noticed that Adam subtly moved in his seat when Blake passed the basketball game. He kept flipping through the channels waiting for Adam to say something. When he realized he wasn’t going to Blake let out a small laugh and turned the game on.

“You could’ve said you wanted to watch it.” Blake tossed the remote at him.

“We don’t have to watch it. You cooked! We can watch something else.” Blake almost felt bad at how awkward Adam looked.

“Don’t be an idiot. I’m getting a beer. You want one?” Adam looked at the screen and nodded in affirmation.

Blake went and grabbed them both a drink and sat back down to watch the game. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be a fan of basketball. If he had to watch a sport it would definitely be football, but seeing how excited Adam had gotten at certain plays was more than worth it.

It wasn’t particularly hard to follow but Adam narrated the game to the point that Blake teased him that they might as well mute the tv. 

Adam stuck his tongue out at him and stuck up a finger and went back to watching the game. In the last seconds he gripped Blake’s forearm tightly and shook it.

“GO GO GO GO!” Adam shouted. Blake looked down at Adam’s hand on him and then at his face. He had such an intense look on his face watching the last moments as one of the players made a shot from the three point line that Blake couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

He doesn’t know what happened but he assumes Adam’s team won because he jumped up and shouted in excitement. He turned to Blake with a smile so wide and full of joy that Blake knew he was well and truly fucked.

Later that night when he lay in his bed, eyes closed, thoughts full of Adam, and still feeling the ghost of his fingers against his arm he knew he had to do something. This wasn’t going to end well. It was all too much. He needed a break to clear his head. He needed to go back home.


	11. Chapter 11

Securing the last bag into the bed of his truck, Blake went through a mental checklist of everything he had brought for the next two weeks. This break was exactly what he needed. Some much deserved time away from everything to get himself back on track. 

Luke looked at him like his body had been taken over by an imposter when he said he was going home to Oklahoma for ten days. He practically kicked him out of the store just before closing with a look of pure joy in his eyes. He didn’t want to think about what that meant. 

He really did need the break and some time to think. He and Adam had been texting or talking on the phone at least four or five times per week at this point. He needed to remind himself who he was and that Adam, like everyone else in his life, would eventually leave and it was for the best that he’d start to come to terms with that now. It took him two years to fully move on from his divorce. This, whatever this was, wasn’t good for him. 

Putting his truck into gear he started to pull away from the curb when his phone rang. Blake stared at Adam’s name and thought for a moment about letting it go to voicemail. He let it ring two more times before someone beeped their horn across the street. 

“Shit” Blake put the car back in park, grabbed his phone and quickly answered. He didn’t even have a chance to say hello before Adam’s overly hyper and excited voice came over the line. 

“… before the promo starts!” Blake looked at the phone in confusion. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

“The first three shows on our promo tour had to be rescheduled so I’ve got two weeks to do absolutely nothing.” 

“That’s great, Adam.” Blake was genuinely happy for him. He knows how hard he’s been working and a break was well deserved.

“I can’t remember the last time I had two weeks off in a row! I was thinking of doing the sites. Graceland, Dollywood. How about it, Big Country? You down for some prime tourist action?” 

“Oh.” Blake looked in his rearview mirror and saw the full cab packed up. 

“Shit. I’m the worst. You’ve got work and shit. It’s fine, I’ll make James come along.” Adam backtracked. 

“No, it’s not that.” Blake rubbed his hand over his mouth. _Don’t do it. Don’t you dare fucking do it._ “I’m actually heading to Oklahoma. Taking some time off to clear my head, ya know?” 

“That’s great, Blake. You deserve it.” The line got quiet and Blake could kill himself over the next words that would come out of his mouth but he couldn’t stop himself. 

“You told me you’ve never been to Oklahoma before. What’d’ya say, Rockstar? Want to see how the real America lives?” Blake immediately wished he could take the words back as soon as they left his mouth. The whole point of this trip was to get Adam out of his head, not to invite him further in.

“You don’t have to invite me because you feel bad. I don’t want to get in the way of your time off.” Adam sounded hesitant and Blake knew he was done for.

“If I didn’t want you to come, I wouldn’t have invited you. How long until you can be packed?” 

“How long until you can get here?” 

“Half hour long enough?” Adam hummed in thought.

“I can manage.” Adam responded after a minute.

“See ya in a bit.” Blake hung up the phone and sat completely still in his car for several moments. All the possible consequences of this invitation immediately coming to mind. It was too late to take it back now. Blake put his truck in gear and drove away towards Adam’s hotel.

He was trying to remember the condition of the house, and more specifically the guest bedroom. No one’s used that room in years so it’s more than likely to need a bit of a clean before he’d feel comfortable letting Adam stay there. He tried to drop by at least twice a year but things had been a bit rough on the business front and he couldn’t really afford to get away like he wanted to in the last two years.

It wasn’t even the state of the house that was his main concern. It was the fact that he was about to spend two weeks in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma with a man that was so out of his league in every possible definition of the word. Then there was the matter of what to do with him while he was there. Blake would hate it if he dragged Adam with him and then he was bored and had a terrible time. That might be even worse than Blake making an ass out of himself with his terrible attempts at hiding his crush on the man.

Deciding to deal with one problem at a time he pulled out his phone and sent a text to his next door neighbor in Oklahoma. They’d occasionally stop by to look after the place but lord knows what state it was in currently. He hadn’t checked in with them in a while. He let them know he was heading out that way, that he was bringing a friend, and not to be alarmed if they saw him pull in late.

He got a text back saying that they checked on the place a few weeks ago but would do a quick go around to make sure everything was good to go. Blake sent a quick thank you in return and as an afterthought sent another text asking them to not mention that he was going to be in town to anyone. They were good people and thankfully didn’t ask any questions. He just got a thumbs up in response.

“I’m downstairs” Blake called Adam as soon as he pulled up.

“I’m waiting for the elevator. I’ll be right here.” Blake learned over and cleared up the passenger seat a bit. He looked up in time to see Adam come out the front door holding a large, black garbage bag. 

“What’s that?” Blake shouted through the open window. 

“Clothes” Adam tossed it into the back of the truck and jumped into the passenger seat. 

“You don’t got a suitcase?” Blake looked at him incredulously. 

“You only gave me thirty minutes. I didn’t have time to put two weeks worth of clothes neatly into a suitcase.” Adam explained as though it was obvious. 

Blake gave him the once over and shook his head. He had clearly rushed to get dressed. He probably spent half the time fitting into those way too tight jeans that… _No. Not going there right now._

“Where’d you even get a trash bag that big?” Blake looked at the bag in the bed of his truck in his rear review mirror.

“Grabbed it off the maids cart in the hall.” Adam fastened his seatbelt. “All set?”

“It’s a little over ten hour drive. You sure you’re ready for this?” Blake warned with a teasing grin. Adam rolled his eyes. 

“I once took a 19 hour plane ride to Tokyo. This is nothing.” Adam put on his sunglasses and smiled back at him.

“Your t-shirt’s inside out” Blake commented as he pulled away. 

“I know.” Adam smiled. Blake laughed and nodded along. 

“One of those…” 

“Rockstar things!” They finished at the same time. Blake felt the blush spread across his face and Adam let out a loud laugh that Blake felt deep down in his chest. 

The first four hours flew by. Blake and Adam shared stories about their most memorable road trips. Blake’s consisting of trips with his family, Adam’s about early days in a beat up old tour bus. He could almost pretend that he’d known Adam his whole life. 

They put on a classic rock station and sang along at the top of their lungs and they flew down the highway.

They had just finished singing along like complete idiots to Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” in which Adam would declare to Blake that their performance was the best duet he’s ever been a part of. They were both red faced and wiping tears out of their eyes and were almost thankful no one else was around to witness it. 

“I’m surprised you even know that song.” Adam switched stations for a bit and after hearing the same four songs that were playing an hour ago decided to turn it off.

“I grew up in the 80s. I know who Meatloaf is. Also in case you forgot, I own a record store. Obviously I know more than country music.” 

“Fair enough.” Adam looked at his phone. He was surprised by how long they’d been driving already.

“You want me to take over for a bit?” Adam asked.

“You don’t know where we’re goin'.” Blake switched to the center lane and stuck up a finger as the car that was driving behind him on his ass passed by them.

“That’s why GPS was invented!” Adam smiled at Blake’s subtle attempt at concealing his road rage. Something he denied having as they drove out of Tennessee.

“I’m used to the drive. Just relax and let me know when you need another break.” Adam nodded and grabbed a shopping bag that was resting near his legs. They did a pit stop just outside of Memphis so that Blake could top off the truck and Adam could load up on snacks. He handed Blake a bottle of water and took out a bag of chips for himself. 

“You know,” Adam opened the bag of chips and inspected a few different ones before finding one he was satisfied with. “I think this is the first time I’ve been in your murder truck since you attacked me.” Adam teased. 

Blake, not expecting that, almost choked on his bottle of water and slightly swerved as he coughed. Adam gave him a knowing look as the water dripped from his chin onto his flannel shirt. 

“I’m surprised I allow you near me with any liquids at all as a matter of fact.” He gave Blake a big grin and took an exaggerated bite of his chip. 

“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?” Blake snatched the bag from him and pulled out a handful. 

“Probably not.” Adam snatched it back and looked out the window. It had gotten dark two hours back. Blake glanced over at him as they fell into a comfortable silence. Only the sounds of the bag of chips rustling and Blake’s humming filling the cab of the truck. 

“Do you want to listen to some music?” Blake asked some time later, taking his eyes from the road when he didn’t hear a response. Adam’s head was resting against the window, the bag of chips forgotten in his loose grip. Blake almost wanted to pull over so he could take a photo but knew that would be both creepy and weird. 

He gently took the bag from Adam and placed it in the space between them, rolling up the ends so it didn’t spill all over the place. He jumped slightly when Adam let out a large sigh and unconsciously huddled in on himself. The weather had taken a colder turn the further west they’d driven and seeing that Adam was only wearing a black short sleeved shirt, Blake grabbed his jacket from behind him and tried as gently as possible to lay it over Adam. Adam unconsciously grabbed the jacket and pulled it tighter around him. They drove for another forty minutes before Adam spoke.

“Why’dya stop?” Adam mumbled tiredly next to him. 

“Hmm?” Blake glanced over confused. 

“Sounds nice. Keep goin’” Blake nodded and started humming again. He went through a few old country songs that he remembered that were his Momma’s favorites and could see Adam settle back into sleep from the corner of his eye. 

He hadn’t even realized he was doing it. They didn’t have much further to go, maybe another hour or less but Blake decided to let him sleep. 

By the time they pulled up to Blake’s ranch it was a little after 2am. He usually made better time on his own but they had stopped to eat a few times and they’d hit pretty rough traffic in Arkansas. Blake quietly got out of the truck and unloaded their bags. He did a quick look around and was satisfied that everything was spotless. He noted that there was a gallon of milk and some fresh eggs in the fridge and made a mental note to thank his neighbors in the morning. He put his suitcase in his room and then grabbed Adam’s trash bag full of clothes and put it in the guest room. 

“What an idiot.” He mumbled to himself with a smile at the bag.

He turned up the heat and grabbed some extra pillows and an extra blanket from the closet and put it on the bed in case Adam needed it.

Blake made his way back to the car and gently shook Adam awake. “C’mon, Rockstar. We’re here.”

Adam slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Time is it?” He asked as he got out of the truck. He stumbled a bit and Blake bit his lip. He was really fucking adorable sometimes.

“After 2. C’mon. I’ll show you to your room. We’ll do a tour in the morning.” Blake gently rested his hand on Adam’s back to steady him and directed him towards the guest room.

“G’night” Adam yawned and crawled right into the bed. He managed to shake off one shoe before he passed out. Blake rolled his eyes at Adam’s sprawled out form on the bed, still wearing his jacket.

“Such a diva.” He whispered to himself as he pulled off Adam’s other shoe and covered him with the spare blanket. “Night, Adam.”

Blake shut the door behind him and grabbed a drink from the bar that was set up in the corner of his living room. He sat down on the couch and rested his head against the back and closed his eyes.

Now that he could sit and relax it all really hit him. He was going to be spending the next two weeks alone with Adam. In his house. Which was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Blake opened his eyes and downed the last of his whiskey. 

“Well, shit.” He got up and made another drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, not beta'd. Thank you for all the lovely comments. I sadly have caught up to the stuff I'd already written so hopefully I can convince myself to not get distracted and keep up with this.
> 
> Heads up moving forward: Blake's ex comes up several times in this story but will likely never be mentioned by name. All relationships (romantic and otherwise) are completely AU.


	12. Chapter 12

Blake was already up and making a pot of coffee when Adam stumbled blearily out of the guest room. Blake noticed that at one point he must’ve changed into a pair of black sweatpants but was still wearing the same shirt and had Blake’s jacket wrapped around him. Blake fought down the warm feeling in his chest at the sight.

“Fuck, I’m old.” Adam complained as he sat down on the stool across from Blake. 

“Didn’t sleep well?” Blake asked with a bit of concern. He hadn’t slept on the guest bed in a while and honestly couldn’t remember how comfortable it was. He’d look into getting a mattress pad when he went out shopping later.

“Nah, I slept great.” Adam rubbed his eyes and stretched. “My back was not happy about the long ride apparently.”

“Oh, but I thought you did an 80 hour plane ride to Japan once?” Blake teased.

“Yeah and I slept in this weird ass fucking pod thing on the plane the entire time.” Blake handed Adam a cup of coffee and Adam took a sip and let out a contented sigh. “Thanks.”

“I could always put some pillows and blankets in the bed of the truck on the way home.” Adam rolled his eyes at him and Blake laughed.

“If my hands weren’t so cold I’d give you the finger right now.” To make his point Adam wrapped both of his hands around his mug and made an exaggerated shiver.

“I forgot. You’re from California.” Blake walked over to the thermostat and turned it up a few degrees. He’d start the fireplace but they had to get a move on soon enough and it wasn’t worth the effort to chop wood at that moment.

Adam hopped down from the stool and began to look around curiously. He’d stop at a picture on the wall or knick knack on a table, pause for a moment, and then move on.

“Want an official tour or you gonna show yourself around?” Blake asked. Adam turned away from a five dollar Monopoly bill that was framed on the wall with the words _‘SUCK IT’_ written in red lipstick over it. He raised an eyebrow at Blake in a question.

“My sister and I once played a game of Monopoly that lasted about 14 hours. When I won and she had to give me the last of her money she pulled out some lipstick from her bag and wrote that on it before handing it over.” Blake looked at the bill with a fond smile. 

“So you hung that up...”

“To piss her off, yeah.” Blake finished with a laugh.

“You two close?” Adam asked.

“Yeah. I mean, we were a lot closer when I still lived here. I think she might still be a bit pissed that I haven’t moved back yet.” Blake straightened the frame.

“Do you miss it?” Adam asked. 

“Sometimes.” Blake gave a small shrug. “I miss my mom and my sister and some days I really miss the quiet.”

“I woke up at like 5 in the morning to change and it was so freaking quiet it almost freaked me out.” Adam recalled. He had almost forgotten where he was and may have had a mild panic attack until he realized he was wearing Blake’s jacket and somehow must’ve forgotten they’d gotten to his house in Oklahoma already.

“I remember when I came back for the first time after moving to Nashville I couldn’t sleep for days. I had gotten used to the noise of the city and cars driving by.” There were other reasons he was having trouble sleeping back then but now was not the time to go into his marriage problems.

“Must be peaceful though. Sometimes I wish I could just walk around and do normal shit and not be recognized. Maybe I should move to a small town.” Adam said with a small frown.

“You’re probably in luck then. I honestly doubt anyone in this town has ever heard of you.” Adam turned to Blake in mock offense. “Elton John could walk down the street and everyone would just ask him if he was lost. This is a Country music town through and through.” He explained.

“I’m looking forward to my ego taking the hit.” Adam responded and he genuinely did look pleased at the idea. Blake couldn’t imagine what it was like to have everyone looking at you and following your every move at all times. 

Blake shook off that thought and gestured for Adam to follow after him for the tour of the house.

“Living room, obviously. There’s a bar in the corner and you can help yourself to whatever you want. Same goes for the kitchen.” He pointed to the area in which they had been previously drinking their coffee.

“Not much food in there right now, but I can make some eggs real quick and we can go food shopping after.”

“Eggs sound good.” Adam agreed and followed him down a hall.

“Guest room, which you already know about.” He pulled open the door across from it. “Bathroom. The shower knobs are a bit tricky and are switched so cold is hot and hot is cold, but the water gets real hot.” Adam gave him a confused look.

“Courtesy of an incompetent ex brother in law.” He explained with a roll of his eyes. “Towels in this little closet. Not sure if you brought any but there’s soap, shampoo and conditioner in there as well or we can pick some up when we’re out.” 

He got to the end of the hall and pointed at the closed door. “That’s, uh… my room.” He said awkwardly. Adam looked at him and raised an eyebrow in question.

“What you got some dead deer hanging up in there or something?” Adam asked.

“No it’s just a normal room.” Blake went to the door and opened it. Adam stepped in and looked around. It was as ordinary a room as one would imagine. A tall dresser, bedside table with a framed photo and a lamp on it, a chair in a corner, and a big bed in the center. _An unremarkable room for an unremarkable guy._

“You make your bed every morning? Fuck, I’m such a pig.” Adam shook his head. 

“A habit I picked up when I was feeling pretty shit a few years back. If I made the bed it would be less tempting to get in it.” He responded with a shrug.

Adam nodded in understanding but didn’t question further. He walked over to the closet and gave Blake a hopeful look. “Can I?”

“Why? Looking for more of my clothes to steal.” Blake gestured at the denim jacket that Adam was still wearing. It hung on him in a ridiculous way but it didn’t stop Adam from sticking a hand out from a long sleeve and giving Blake the middle finger.

“Holy fucking flannel!” Adam shouted when he opened the sliding door. It wasn’t all flannel but there was certainly enough of it worth commenting on.

“It’s comfortable and practical.” Blake’s face felt hot as he watched as Adam looked through his clothes. Adam touched one of the red flannel shirts and looked at Blake with a grin.

“I used to have a shirt like this back in my grunge phase.” Adam slid the closet door closed and followed Blake back into the hall. He brought Adam to the back door and Adam let out an impressed whistle at the size of Blake’s land. 

“There’s a lake back down through the trail that way. I might need to tune the ATV’s up but we can likely take them out sometime in the next week.”

“Seriously?” Adam almost bounced in excitement. 

“Yeah. I’ll take a look before we head out and see if there are any parts I need.” He showed him a few areas outside and the ATV’s in the garage. Tour finally concluded, Adam followed Blake back into the kitchen where he made them eggs, toast and more coffee.

“What’s the plan for today?” Adam asked as he used the last of his toast to scoop up the egg yolk from his plate.

“Food shopping for sure. I started a list but you can put anything you’d like on there. If they don’t have anything we can go into the next town. They’ve got a Super Walmart and a bit more options.” Blake went through the check list in his head. “Gotta stop at the hardware store at some point and get some gas for the grill.”

Adam got up and washed his and Blake’s dishes and dried his hands on his sweatpants even though there was a towel right in front of him.

“I’m gonna shower and get changed if that’s okay?” Adam asked as he made his way towards the guest room.

“That’s fine. Take your time.” Blake shooed him away and went to dry and put away the pan and dishes.

He heard the bathroom door open and close and the sound of the shower turn on. “Fuck. Cold!’ He heard Adam shout but quickly followed by another shout of “I got it! I got it!” Blake laughed and after a minute decided to give Adam his privacy _and to keep himself from thinking about Adam in the shower_ , he headed out to the garage. 

He grabbed a pair of heavy duty work gloves and gave the ATV’s a once over. They definitely needed gas. He emptied them out the last time he’d been here over a year and a half ago. One of the exhaust pipes looked a bit rusted and he made a mental note to stop at the salvage yard to see if he could get a replacement for cheap.

He went over to the grill next and took off the cover. The grate needed cleaning, he decided, then pulled out the empty gas tank and took it to his truck. He heard Adam call his name in a question from the house and made his way back inside.

“Hey, I’m here.” Blake came back into the house to see Adam rubbing a towel through his hair. He was wearing another pair of skinny black jeans and a worn out band t-shirt and a pair of expensive looking sneakers.

“You’re gonna freeze out here in that.” Adam pulled the towel away and looked at Blake with an eye roll. 

“I didn’t realize it got this cold out there. I figured we were close to Texas and every time I’ve been there it was hot as shit.” Adam explained.

“You don’t have ANY sweaters or jackets with you?” Blake asked incredulously and walked into the guest room where Adam’s clothes were laid out on the bed. It was all t-shirts and jeans and Blake shook his head.

“I have a jacket.” Adam pointed at Blake’s denim jacket that was hung over a wooden chair in the corner that he’d been wearing since the night before.

“That’s MY jacket.” Blake exclaimed.

“Debatable. I seem to remember that you gave it to me.” Adam challenged.

“To use not to keep, dipshit.” Blake's eye slightly widened as the insult left his mouth.

“Did you just call me a dipshit?” Adam asked him, eyes light in amusement.

“Stop acting like one and I won’t call you one.” Blake responded back when it was clear Adam wasn’t offended. Adam put his hand over his heart and opened his mouth in feigned pain.

“Well we’re going to have to go clothes shopping.” Blake decided.

“I will have you know I am excellent at clothes shopping.” Adam rubbed his hands together in excitement. 

Blake looked back at the clothes and then looked at his watch. At this rate they’d have to go out for lunch and wouldn’t be back until around dinner time. Seeing as they’d have to spend a lot of time in town they’d need to get Adam clothes first. He was almost positive no one would recognize him out here but didn’t want to draw too much attention to the both of them. He still hadn’t told anyone other than his neighbors that he was back in town and hopefully he’d get a few days on his own before word got out.

“Come on.” Blake left the guest room and motioned for Adam to follow. When Adam came out of the room he was wearing Blake’s jacket. He had flipped the sleeves up a bit but it still was pretty huge on him and hung past his hands.

“Do you honestly not understand how stupid you look?” Blake grabbed his truck keys off the counter and shook his head at Adam. 

“I don’t look stupid in anything. It’s impossible.” Adam put on a pair of sunglasses and Blake let out an undignified snort.

“You look like the kid at the end of the movie Big when he stopped bein’ Tom Hanks.” 

“That was a great movie so I’ll take that as a compliment.” Adam rolled up the sleeves once more as if that was going to make it better.

“Wasn’t meant to be.” Blake shot back.

“Too bad.” Adam smiled ridiculously at Blake and made his way past him and out the door.

“We’re gettin’ you a jacket.” Blake shouted after him.

“No we’re not!” Adam shouted back.


	13. Chapter 13

“I thought you said no one was going to recognize me out here?” Adam leaned over and asked Blake quietly. 

Blake looked at the man behind the counter who was eyeing them. The whole drive over Adam looked around the town and couldn’t believe how small and quiet the place was. He kept waving at people and would bounce in his seat when people waved back but didn’t seem to recognize him. 

“He’s not lookin’ at you because he knows who the hell you are ‘cause I promise you he don’t.” Blake rolled his eyes at Adam and walked over to a rack of long sleeved shirts.

“Then why is he staring at me?” Adam shifted feeling slightly uncomfortable at the man's gaze.

“He’s lookin’ at you because you’re deep in redneck country, wearing skinny jeans and a worn out Red Hot Chili Peppers t-shirt. You don’t exactly blend in.” Blake explained as if it were obvious. Which, in hindsight, should’ve been.

“But I’m wearing your jacket.” Adam looked down at it, almost disappointed.

“Yes, and as I’ve said it’s about 5 times too big for you.” Blake said with slight exasperation.

“Well then cowboy me up!” Adam tipped an imaginary hat and put on a fake country accent.

“Don’t ever do that voice again.” Blake shook his head and started going through the racks. He pulled out a few flannel shirts and grabbed two pairs of Levi’s and tossed them into Adam’s arms. “Here. Try these on.”

Adam wrinkled his nose as he looked at the shirts. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Blake’s grin was absolutely blinding.

“I am a little bit, yeah.” He pushed Adam towards the dressing room. 

By the time Adam came back out to show Blake his outfit he noticed that Blake was talking to the man he saw standing behind the counter. He was tall and thin and had a goatee and long, straight hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a big black cowboy hat that looked studded around the base. He had a very serious look about him and Adam walked over to them with a slight bit of hesitation.

“How do I look?” Adam asked and did a slow turn for Blake’s inspection. Blake turned and gave him a wide grin and looked again at the man next to him.

“What’d’ya think, Trace?” Blake nodded at Adam. Trace raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Wow. That’s a high compliment.” Blake laughed. Adam looked extremely confused.

“The jeans are a bit looser than I’m used to but the shirt’s pretty comfortable.” Adam had flipped the sleeves up a few times so that they rested just below his elbow. 

“You gonna take him hunting?” Trace asked Blake with a barely there smile.

“There’s a good chance, yeah.” Blake responded and picked up a camo baseball cap. He threw it over at Adam.

“You handle a gun before?” He asked Adam with his arms crossed.

“A few times.” Adam looked over at Blake who was giving him a slightly skeptical look. “I mean, it was a prop but it was pretty realistic.”

“A prop?” Trace asked Adam with a look of confusion. “Like a toy?”

“Not exactly. It was for a music video.” Adam explained.

“Like one of them internet video things?” Trace looked over at Blake for help.

“Yeah, something like that.” Blake responded with a smile and turned back to Adam. “What size shoe d’you wear?”

“11” Adam responded and Blake nodded.

“Can you grab me a pair of boots in his size?”

“Sure thing.” Trace walked away to get some boots in the back of the store.

“Friend of yours?” Adam asked Blake as he watched Trace walk into a back room behind the counter.

“Yeah, we go back a while.” Blake responded but didn’t explain further. He walked over to a rack of all camo and pulled out a long sleeve shirt and pants and tossed them to Adam. “You should try these on too.”

“Now you’re just fucking with me.” Adam held out the clothes with a frown.

“You think you’re gonna catch redneck or somethin’?” Blake laughed at him. “Trust me you’ll want them for later.” He pointed at the dressing room. “Now get!”

“You’re such a dick.” Adam pouted but went to try them on anyway.

“You’ll be thankin’ me when it keeps you from gettin’ attacked by wolves.” Blake responded. Adam stopped and turned around.

“Wait, what?” He looked alarmed and Blake had to fight back the urge to laugh. There haven’t been wolves in Oklahoma for longer than he can remember but Adam didn’t need to know that.

“Go on.” Blake pointed to the dressing room and Adam walked away to change.

“He’s right.” Trace appeared next to Blake and held out the boots. “You are a dick.”

Blake laughed and nodded. He laughed even harder when Adam came out wearing his camo with an utterly unimpressed look on his face.

“I look like a ten year old dressed up like GI Joe for halloween.” Adam looked down at himself in disgust.

“You look fine.” He handed Adam one more pair of jeans, slightly smaller than the last and a solid sage green henley. Try this with these boots.” Adam grabbed the boots and the clothes and quickly went to change. 

Blake leaned up against the wall outside the dressing room and waited for Adam to reappear. 

“This isn’t bad actually.” Adam said from behind the door.

“Well you gonna look at yourself in the mirror all day or you gonna show me?” Blake shouted back.

Adam walked out of the dressing room and did a slow spin. Blake fought with every ounce of self control not to verbally groan in reaction. The shirt fit almost too well, showing off the muscles in his arms and chest. The jeans were not too tight but made his ass look spectacular.

“I can’t believe I’ve never owned a pair of cowboy boots before. These are kind of awesome.” Adam walked in a small circle to test them out. 

“Yeah… that’s…” Blake wanted to slap himself. _Use your words idiot._ “They look nice.” He said finally. 

“But do I look Country enough?” Adam gave him a big smile.

“You’re gettin’ there.” Blake grabbed a cowboy hat and placed it on top of Adam’s head. “There. Much better” 

Adam turned and looked in the mirror. “Damn I look hot.” He pulled his hat down and nodded at himself in the mirror. “I’d fuck me.” 

“Yeah.” Blake said without thinking. Adam turned on the spot and gave Blake a dirty smile. 

“You too, huh?” He winked and Blake almost choked.

“No! I meant that YOU would because of the ego and all that.” He tried desperately to explain. Luckily Adam decided that staring at himself in the mirror was more important than screwing with Blake. Which was fine with Blake because he’d rather stare at Adam as well.

“You gonna buy anything?” Trace appeared again from behind them causing both men to jump.

“Christ!” Blake put a hand over his heart. “I told you to stop doin’ that!” Blake complained but handed Trace the clothes that Adam had picked out. “We’re buyin’ just hold your horses.”

“Should I change?” Adam asked, heading back into the changing room.

“No. Just pull the tags off and you can wear it out.” Adam nodded and grabbed his clothes from the dressing room. As a last thought Blake grabbed a denim jacket in Adam’s size and handed it to him. 

“Try this on?” Blake told him and grabbed his clothes from out of Adam’s arms. Adam looked down at the jacket and crinkled his nose but put on the jacket. It fit him perfectly like a second skin.

“It’s fine.” Adam said unenthusiastically. 

“What do you mean? It looks great and doesn’t make you look ten years old!” Blake would never understand this man.

“Okay.” Adam relented and pulled the tag off. They walked up the register and handed Trace the tags from the clothes he was wearing. 

He rung them up much slower than Adam would’ve liked as he was, as Blake would later explain, on Country Time and that meant there was no rush. Blake and Adam had both fired off a quick “Thank you” on their way out of the store to which Trace hummed in response but didn’t bother to watch them leave.

“He’s an interesting guy.” Adam said as they left the store and threw Adam’s purchases into the back of the truck.

“That was him being friendly.” Blake had known Trace since he was too young to walk. He was friends with his older brother and they’d babysit him and Kelly when they were little. He was never much of a talker but Blake knew he had a good heart and that was all that mattered.

“Where to next?” Adam asked as he followed Blake down the street. They stopped in the hardware store and picked up some tool Blake needed to fix some things around the property. They then stopped and filled up the tank for the barbecue and got some extra gas for the ATV’s.

A quick stop at the salvage yard and Blake was able to pick up a replacement exhaust pipe and then decided they’d grab lunch before doing their food shop.

“And a side of… Calf fries…?” Adam read off the menu to the waitress. “That sounds good I guess?” 

“You know, hun-” The waitress started but Blake looked at her and shook his head very subtly. “That’s a good choice.” She said to Adam and then smiled at Blake. “And for you?”

“I’ll have the chicken fried steak.” Blake handed her their menus. Adam looked at him in complete bewilderment. 

“What the fuck is chicken steak?” He whispered to Blake when the waitress walked away. Blake laughed and told him he’d give him some to try when their food arrived. Adam nodded and looked back out the window they were sitting in front of. He bit his lip like he was expected to be recognized at any moment. The sound of Blake’s camera on his phone made Adam turn his head quickly in his direction.

“You were lookin’ like you were expecting someone to come up and take your picture. Now that’s out of the way… what do you think so far?” Blake pointed his finger outside.

“I still can’t believe all your stores and restaurants are basically all on one block.” Adam shook his head. “I am pretty sure more people went to my High School than live in your entire town.”

“You’re probably right.” Blake took a sip of his sweet tea and shrugged.

“Why Tishomingo?” Adam asked.

“I moved out as soon as I was old enough to. I got an apartment in Ada with some friends from High School.” Blake cringed at the memory. “Three of us had no business trying to make it on our own at that point. We had no idea how to take care of ourselves. It didn’t last long.”

“Your mom was cool with you moving out?” 

“She hated it. She’d show up, or send my sister over, a few times a week with food and to tell us how much of a mess the place was.”

“Mom’s never really grow out of that. Mine still shows up to my house to cook me dinner sometimes.” Adam smiles fondly.

“Yeah.” Blake nodded in agreement. “The problem was that I think knowing she was so close, only a half mile away, didn’t make me feel as independent as I wanted to be.”

“I ended up doing a delivery out here for a tractor repair shop I was working for at the time. I remember driving into town and feelin’ like this was where I was supposed to be.” Adam nodded along.

“Real estate must’ve been dirt cheap. Your property is pretty huge.”

“It’s not too bad, but even if I saved up every cent I’ve earned in the last twenty years I’d never have been able to afford it on my own.” Blake admitted. Adam looked very confused.

“It was dumb luck.” Blake continued. “One of the deliveries I did was for an older couple. They never had any kids and the property was becoming too much to handle. They told me they’d pay me to come by on the weekends to help with some of the harder labor.”

“That must’ve been a sweet deal.”

“I’ll say. One day of work on a Saturday and I made more than I did working 5 days at the repair shop. Anyway, his wife got sick and they decided they wanted to go down to Texas to be with her sisters. It was about a year later I got a phone call saying she died and he couldn’t stand to come back to the place. Left it all to me.” Blake looked down at the table with a sad smile.

“They were nice people and I was real sad to hear she passed.”

“Fuck.” Adam gave Blake’s hand a gentle squeeze before pulling back. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” He looked up at Adam. “I planted a tree out not far from the lake for her.”

“I’d like to see it if you’d show me?” Adam asked softly. Blake opened his mouth to respond but before he could get anything out the waitress arrived with their food.

“Chicken fried steak.” She put Blake’s down in front of him. “Burger and a side of calf fries.” She put Adam’s plate down next and he gave it a questioning look. “Can I get you anything else?”

“We’re good, thank you.” Blake smiled and turned back to Adam. “Problem?”

Adam poked at his side dish. “These don’t really look like any fries I’ve ever seen.” 

“Is that right?” He smiled at Adam and grabbed one and popped it in his mouth. “Tastes like calf fries to me.”

Adam, feeling better that Blake ate one first, grabbed a small flat one and started to chew it slowly, trying to decide if he liked it or not.

“What the hell am I eating, Blake?” Adam asked as he was still chewing the fried food.

“Ever heard of Rocky Mountain Oysters?” Blake asked with a smile. Adam shook his head but swallowed and looked back down at the plate in suspicion. 

“Doesn’t taste like any oysters I’ve ever had. I thought it was beef?”

“It is technically.”

“It is technically what?”

“Beef.”

“Blake, I swear to god.” Adam picked another one up and inspected it. “What the hell are calf fries?”

“Deep fried bull testicles.” Blake admitted. He bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud when Adam’s eyes blew out wide and he immediately threw it at Blake who let out a ‘Hey!’ as he tried to dodge it.

“What the fuck, man! You just sat there and let me order that shit!?” Adam pushed the plate over to Blake who was practically in tears.

“Sorry.” He wiped his eyes with a napkin. “You didn’t ask.”

“Is this a real burger? Or is it like a cow asshole or something?” Adam looked down at his burger and pulled the bun back to look at it fully.

“Oh, stop being such a diva. It’s a real burger.” Adam gave a small pout but took a bite of his burger. Relieved that it tasted familiar he kept eating it and glared at Blake between bites.

Blake motioned for refills on their drinks and turned to Adam. “I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you. I’m a dick.”

“You are a dick.” Adam agreed and stole the biscuit off Blake’s plate. He gave him a look that dared him to complain about it.

“Hey, at least you can say you’ve tried a local delicacy.” Adam rolled his eyes. “C’mon. It wasn’t that bad. It has the same texture as calamari and I know you eat that.”

“Fine.” Adam said reluctantly. “It wasn’t awful. You’re still a dick though.” 

Their waitress came by and handed them their drinks and put a plate of normal fries next to Adam. She had a slight look of guilt on her face and Adam decided that if it were the other way around he probably would’ve done the same thing and vowed that if Blake ever visited him in LA he’d have his revenge.

“Thank you.” Adam smiled and broke the fry in half to make sure it was just potato in case. Blake snorted and Adam pointed the fry at him. “Not a word!”

Blake threw up his hands in surrender and they finished their meals as the conversation turned to the weirdest foods they’d ever eaten.

Their food shop took longer than normal as Adam insisted on reading the labels of everything Blake put in the cart. Then they had a moment of panic where they thought Adam had been recognized when a woman exclaimed “Oh my Gosh!” to them. However it turned out she was just someone Blake had gone to school with.

It was almost amusing when Blake introduced her to his friend Adam and she gave him a warm smile but there wasn’t a slight bit of recognition on her face. 

“I thought you didn’t want to get recognized?” Blake asked later as he started to put the groceries away.

“I don’t!” Adam said as he handed Blake a bag of potatoes. “It’s just a bit weird that you live in this universe that only listens to one kind of music.” 

“If it makes you feel better, I knew who you were when I still lived here.” 

“Liar.” Adam said as he put some oranges into the fridge.

“My sister used to get those ‘Now That's What I Call Music’ CDs. My house was always filled with more than just country growing up. I definitely knew your music.”

“Well it’s always nice to meet a fan.” Adam smiled and then laughed when Blake threw a loaf of bread at him.

“Such a diva.” He shook his head in amusement.

“I’m glad I have you here to feed my ego.” Adam teased and jumped up to sit on the counter. 

“Glad I could help.” Blake finished putting the rest of the food away while Adam started talking about his new boots and what clothes at home he’d pair them with. He didn’t add anything to Adam’s ramblings, just sat there and listened with an amused smile.

Despite his original intentions when he decided to come here, Blake was really happy he wasn’t alone.


	14. Chapter 14

It was around noon on their fourth day in Oklahoma that found Blake swinging an axe and splitting some firewood. The temperature had dropped considerably overnight and it had been so long since he’d been back that he figured now was as good of a time as any to stockpile. And if it helped to ease some of the tension that he’d been carrying around for the last few days, well, that was just a bonus.

He had woken up to Adam doing yoga shirtless in the living room the previous morning. He was almost ashamed of how long he’d stood there silently watching Adam bend himself into various poses. It couldn’t have been more than two minutes later that Adam spotted him and invited Blake to join him. Then, to add to the already long list of mortifying exchanges, Blake’s voice cracked on a “No thanks” and he immediately knocked into a side table on his way out of the room.

And then there was the awkward exchange in the hall earlier this morning. Blake came out of his room just as Adam walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped low around his waist. His skin was slightly red from the heat of the shower and water droplets had fallen from his hair onto his shoulders. Adam jumped a bit in surprise having not expected to see Blake standing there. His towel went loose and Adam just managed to grab it before he exposed anything other than his hip. Blake swung the axe a bit harder than necessary at that particular memory. 

“You should whip your shirt off when you do that.” Blake swung around in surprise, gripping the axe tightly. 

“Jesus. Don’t ever sneak up on a man holding an axe unless you plan on getting yourself killed.” Blake put his hand over his chest to try to regulate his breathing. He was so lost in what he was doing he hadn’t heard Adam come out the door.

“I knew it! It wasn’t a murder truck! It was a murder ranch the whole time!” Adam teased with a look of exaggerated fear on his face. 

“Don’t be such a jackass. If I was gonna murder you, I would’ve done it already. Believe me I’ve had plenty of chances.”

“That’s comforting.” Adam stood against the side of the house wearing Blake’s jacket. 

“We just bought you a damn jacket. Why’re you wearin’ mine again?” Adam ignored him and walked over and kicked the growing pile of wood.

“Can I have a go?”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Blake shook his head. “Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself. Carson already hates me.”

“Shut up. Carson doesn’t hate you. He just wants to strangle you sometimes for distracting me.” _Now was not the time to unpack **that**._ “ You brought me out here to do some manly farm shit and what is more manly than this?”

“Fine.” Blake honestly couldn’t say no to this man. It was becoming a problem. “Pay attention. The nearest hospital is a bit of a drive so you better not cut anything you’re gonna need later.”

“I promise. Now hand it over.” Adam looked like it was Halloween and his birthday all wrapped up into one. 

“Watch first. Then you can have a go.” Blake showed Adam how to hold the axe, where to aim and how to follow through. He repeated this about 4 or 5 times until Adam was practically vibrating with impatience. 

“You think you got it?” Blake held out the axe.

“Please” Adam scoffed. He grabbed the handle and put a piece of wood on the tree stump. Adam positioned himself like Blake showed him and took a deep breath. He was staring at the wood with total concentration.

“You gonna get to it some time today, city boy? I think it’s starting to grow back into a tree.” Blake teased.

“Shhh!!!” Adam put both hands on the axe, went to swing and then stopped himself before making contact with the wood. “Oh fuck wait.”

Blake looked at him confused. “What now?”

“We should record this.” Adam responded. He pulled the sleeves up to free his hands.

“You look like an idiot.” Blake shook his head in fond amusement.

“I’m ignoring you because this jacket is super comfortable and you're never getting it back.” 

“You look like a 5 year old trying on his daddy’s clothes.” Blake laughed at him.

“So would that make you my daddy?” Adam winked. Blake stopped laughing. 

Adam pulled his phone out of his new blue jeans and handed it to Blake. Blake took the phone and rolled his eyes with a slightly amused smile on his face. One that immediately dropped when Adam unbuttoned and shrugged off Blake’s jacket. He hadn’t been wearing a shirt underneath it.

“Whoa. What in the hell are you doing?” Blake felt himself having a meltdown at the thought of Adam’s bare skin touching his jacket. He’d never be able to wear it again without thinking about it. 

“Just hit record.” Adam grabbed for the axe again. 

Adam fell into place for the second time, gripping the axe tightly enough that his biceps flexed from the effort. With a deep breath he swung the axe and--

“Fuck! Ow! Why is that so fucking hard!?” Adam let go of the axe and rubbed his left hand, looking at the piece of wood in a pained betrayal. The axe was stuck half through but didn’t come close to splitting it.

When they’d watch the video back later it shook so hard with the force of Blake’s laughter that Adam punched him in the arm. It was so loud and full that you could barely hear Adam ranting about bullshit pieces of wood and how he had done it exactly like Blake had shown him.

“Fuck off. Show me again.” Blake handed the phone back to Adam and wiped the tears from his eyes. 

“Give it here.” Blake yanked the axe out of the wood and reset it on the tree trunk.

“You really should get your shirt off.” Adam said as a matter of fact.

“That’s not happening.” Blake shook his head in absolute refusal. “First off it’s 30 degrees outside.”

“No shit. My nipples could probably do a better job cutting through that wood right now.” Adam poked at one and Blake turned away and took a calming breath. 

“Then why the hell did you take your shirt off?”

“Shirtless dude cutting wood? Hot as fuck. I’m tellin’ you. You should do it.”

“Trust me, Adam. No one wants to see that.” Blake swung and split the wood a bit too forcefully into two halves and replaced it with another piece.

“Come on, I know for a fact you got some muscle hiding underneath all that flannel.” Blake hated that he could feel his face heat up in embarrassment. 

“How the hell do you know that?” He tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible. Adam doesn’t answer. He just gives him a thoughtful once over and if Blake hadn’t known for a fact it was impossible he could’ve sworn Adam was looking at him like he’s seen him naked. 

Four more tries, and another demonstration from Blake later, Adam finally got the hang of it. The first time the wood went straight through he let out a loud, deep yell exclaiming that he is all man and that nature is his bitch. He looked like such an idiot. Blake had never been more smitten with another human being in his life. 

Adam managed to split the logs two more times in a row and on the third go he landed a bit too far to the left and a piece of wood flew off and nicked him in the stomach.

“Holy fuck!” Adam shouted in surprise. 

“And that’s why we don’t chop wood shirtless.” Blake exclaimed with slight exasperation. Adam looked at him incredulously. 

“Are you really fucking lecturing me right now? I’m bleeding!” He shouted and pointed toward the small red drop that rolled down his stomach toward his jeans.

“It’s just a scratch. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Blake took him into the kitchen and wet a paper towel while Adam continued to rant. He leaned forward to get a closer look at it and gently wiped the blood away.

“How bad is it? Does it look infected?” Adam winced. 

Blake let out an amused ‘Hmf’ noise and pulled a pair of tweezers out of a junk drawer. He gripped Adam’s waist with his left hand to keep him from fidgeting and pulled out a small splinter. He inspected the spot carefully and wiped Adam’s stomach again. 

“See. It’s already stopped bleeding. Doesn’t even need a band-aid.” Blake ran his finger over the area. The skin was slightly red and raised but otherwise fine. It landed at the edge of one of Adam’s tattoos but he doubted it would leave any lasting mark. As he began to stand up fully he noticed that Adam hadn’t said anything. He was staring at Blake silently with an almost questioning look on his face. Blake stood up fully but otherwise didn't dare move a muscle. He could almost feel Adam’s breath on his lips. If he leaned forward just another two inches he could--

He felt Adam’s stomach clench on an inhale against Blake’s fingers and he pulled his hands away from Adam’s stomach and waist, having just realized that he’d never stopped touching him. 

“I’m gonna finish up outside.” Blake avoided his eyes and took a few steps back. He looked around the room like he’d expected someone to be watching them. “Why don’t you get the steaks out of the freezer? Let them thaw out for a bit. I think we’re gonna grill tonight.”

Without another word he walked out the back door leaving Adam alone in the kitchen. 

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ Blake mouthed quietly as he stepped out the door. He had to stop doing this to himself. Adam was his friend and his guest and he needed to calm the hell down and not act like a total jackass in front of this man. 

He spent the next hour chopping what was probably two years worth of firewood. He stacked most of it on the concrete outside the garage and covered it with a tarp to keep them dry. He put the rest in the log rack outside the back door. 

When he came back into the house he saw the steaks were resting in a pan on the counter and saw the light from the television in the living room. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed one to Adam as he sat down hesitantly next to him on the couch.

“Thanks” Adam took a sip but didn’t look away from the tv.

“How’s the battle wound?” Adam turned to Blake and smirked at the question.

“I think I’ll live.” He rubbed the spot softly. Blake nodded and after a minute or two relaxed back into the couch, relieved that he wasn’t going to bring up what had happened earlier. Blake turned his attention back to the tv. A frazzled man was talking to two other men about how he came from Europe because Dracula needed to be destroyed. 

“What’re you watchin’?” Blake asked with a curious frown. It looked to be an old black and white monster movie. 

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankstein.” Adam answered.

“What’s it about?” Blake asked. Adam hit pause, and turned to him sharply with wide eyes.

“You’ve NEVER seen this?” Adam looked at Blake like he just said something completely unforgivable. 

“Not really, no. Never was much into black and white movies.” Blake explained with a shrug. 

“No no no.” Adam shook his head and went back to the OnDemand menu. “We’re watching this from the beginning.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to start it over. Looks like you were pretty deep into it.”

“Blake!” Adam held his hand up. “This is one of the top 10 comedy films of all time. We’re watching it from the beginning!”

Not taking no for an answer Adam started the movie again. Blake gave Adam credit, it was a pretty damn funny movie. They both had tears in their eyes when Abbott and Costello had tried to block a door with a bed, only to find out the door was a pull not push and Frankenstein had easily opened the door and forced his way in.

By the time the movie was over Adam told Blake that it was going to be his mission the rest of the week to get Blake to watch as many of the classic films that he grew up with as possible. Blake agreed on the condition that Adam would have to watch the movies he grew up with as well. 

Deciding this was going to be how they spent the rest of the day, Adam went to grab a bag of chips while Blake decided what movie they were going to watch next. When he had put on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Adam had laughed and called him predictably country. 

When that was over they took a quick break for dinner. While Blake worked on the steaks, Adam seasoned and grilled up some vegetables in the oven. Blake had to admit that if his momma served him veggies like that when he was a kid, he probably would’ve eaten them more. Adam responded in kind with an obscene groan around a bite of steak. Blake expected it this time, and was convinced that this was just how Adam always ate food. Well, food that he liked anyway. He definitely did not make that noise when he had the calf fries.

For the next movie they moved back to comedy and put on Arsenic and Old Lace which Blake particularly enjoyed. Mostly because Adam kept doing a really bad Cary Grant impression that had Blake in tears. For the final movie of the night Blake chose Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They had to pause it somewhere in the middle because they couldn’t agree on which of them would be Butch and which would be Sundance. 

“You’d be Butch because you both have stupid blue eyes.” Adam pointed out. Blake looked at him in confusion.

“That doesn’t make any sense. Robert Redford has blue eyes too!” Blake argued.

“Yeah, but his are regular blue. Yours are stupid blue. There’s a difference!”

“Paul Newman was way better lookin’ than Robert Redford though.” 

“Yeah. So?” Adam looked at him not sure what his point was.

“You’d definitely be Butch.” Blake explained. Adam rolled his eyes. 

“Look. We’re both Butch. Now can we go back to watching the damn movie?” Adam asked and held up the remote.

They looked at each other and realized how ridiculous they both sounded and both started to laugh.

“You’re not wrong. We are pretty butch.” Blake laughed.

“Got the scars to prove it.” Adam lifted his shirt slightly to expose his cut.

“Shut up and play the damn movie.” Blake poked Adam with his elbow. Adam hit play and they watched the rest of the movie in silence. When Blake looked over at Adam as the credits rolled he saw that Adam was fighting to stay awake.

“C’mon, Rockstar.” Blake touched his shoulder gently. “Time to get some sleep.”

Adam nodded and stood up. They shuffled tiredly to their rooms and just as Adam was about to close his door he called out, “Night, Butch.”

“Night, Butch.” Blake called back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters after this are probably not going to be very long but things are happening.


	15. Chapter 15

As Blake threw their laundry into the dryer he thought back on that first lunch he and Adam had together over barbecue ribs when Adam told him there’s nothing he couldn’t find out about him by looking it up on the internet. Adam could not have been more wrong about that. Blake learned lots of things about Adam in the days they spent at his ranch. Things that you could only learn by spending a lot of time with someone.

For starters, Adam never stopped thinking about music. He would constantly be humming something or beating out a rhythm on any available surface. In the process of cleaning up the house Blake would come across random scraps of paper, envelopes, receipts, and anything else with a blank space on it filled with what appeared to be song lyrics. Blake picked as many up as he could find, placed them into a pile and tried to piece them together in some kind of order. Adam would later inform him that each paper was a different song and he basically just wasted an hour of his life.

I didn’t feel like a wasted hour to him. From his conversations with Adam he knew that of two dozen songs only one would likely ever be put on an album. It felt like he was seeing this secret that few people got to see. That Adam felt like he could trust him with having all these potential hits just lying around his house made that tight feeling in his chest return. 

Something else he learned about Adam is that when he liked something he became **very** attached to it. Case in point, Blake’s jacket. He wore it inside the house, outside of the house, when they went food shopping or did some work around the ranch. At first Blake thought Adam was just cold all the time so he’d thrown more wood into the fireplace which caused the entire house to feel like a sauna. 

Something that he put a stop to immediately when Adam came out of the guest room wearing boxer briefs, the jacket, and nothing else. He could see the sweat rolling down Adam’s chest and Blake’s face felt as hot as the logs on the fire. Adam was definitely not too cold.

Adam tried to convince Blake to take advantage of the heat in the house by doing some hot yoga with him. He kept talking about the benefits and how it would help with some of the tension Blake was carrying around his shoulders. _Can’t imagine what the cause of **that** could be._

Blake opened some windows and let the cool air flow through the house and finished putting the next load into the wash. It looks like they were in for heavy rain for the rest of the day and they mutually decided to spend the day cleaning up the place. They’d gotten too comfortable with sitting around and not doing much else and the house was beginning to reflect that.

“Do you have any other clean sheets?” Adam shouted from his room.

“Yeah in the linen closet in the hall.” Blake shouted back. He heard the sound of a door opening and then--

“Oh my GOD!” Blake heard Adam shout from down the hall. He moved frantically thinking Adam had hurt himself or worse. _What if he’d found something embarrassing?_

Adam rushed around the corner and into the living room holding an old guitar with an incredulous look on his face. _So the latter it is._ Blake closed his eyes and wished he could go back in time and throw it in the trash instead of the closet.

“I fucking knew you were a musician!” Adam shouted with utter glee on his face. He looked like an 8 year old who just found out Santa Claus really did exist.

“I am NOT a musician!” Blake responded. “I just… used to play music occasionally.”

“What’s the fucking difference?” Adam looked confused.

“Would you tell Michael Jordan you were a basketball player?” Blake asked.

“Fuck no.” Adam responded automatically and then gave Blake a look of understanding. “I see where you’re going with that. Also, Michael Jordan? Way to be current, Grampa!” Adam laughed.

“I told you I don’t know shit about basketball.” Which was true, Michael Jordan is the only basketball player he knew off the top of his head. 

“Fair enough, but you do know shit about playing guitar. Why didn’t you tell me?” Adam actually looked hurt at this and Blake felt a bit of shame. It’s not like he was purposely keeping it from him. He did play music years ago. His ex always told him that his songs weren’t good enough and didn’t have enough substance. He wrote one last song during the divorce and decided that yeah, she was probably right about that and hadn’t picked up the thing since.

Adam ran his fingers across the strings and Blake winced. It clearly needed to be tuned. He only used this one a handful of times. This one belonged to his ex. He used to have a real nice one; an old C.F. Martin that belonged to his brother.

“I don’t play anymore.” Blake shrugged.

“What do you mean you don’t play anymore?” Adam looked down at the guitar and then back at Blake.

Instead of answering Blake went into the linen closet and grabbed a fresh set of sheets and handed them to Adam.

“You can play it if you want.” He said and then walked away. He really wasn’t up for talking about it. He had completely forgotten the thing was even in there. How he could’ve missed it when he was putting the extra towels and sheets away the day before was a mystery. 

He went back to add the detergent to the washing machine, but could hear the sounds of Adam tuning the guitar from the living room. It wasn’t long before he got it sounding as good as a cheap guitar could sound.

Blake walked back into the living room to see Adam gently plucking on the strings, the folded sheets on the spot next to him. “Any requests?” He asked. Blake shook his head.

Adam sat there quietly for a moment before starting to play the first few chords of Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. He didn't sing, just closed his eyes and played.

Blake stood there and watched as Adam played the song and just like every other time he’d seen Adam in his element, he couldn’t believe he was allowed to witness it. He started to play a few seconds of a few other songs. Some Blake recognized, some he didn’t. He was almost startled when Adam stopped suddenly and looked up at Blake. 

“You sure you don’t wanna play something?” Adam asked cautiously.

“Positive.” Blake answered. 

Adam rested the guitar against the couch and stood. “The rain is making me a bit tired, do you mind if I go lay down for a bit?”

“Not at all.” Blake responded but stared at the guitar like it was about to spill all of his secrets. He was almost tempted to have at it with the axe as soon as Adam went into his room but thought better of it. It would just lead to more questions. 

It was nice hearing Adam play for him and if it made him feel more comfortable here then he could play it all day if he wanted. Blake walked over to the guitar and picked it up. He hated how perfectly it seemed to fit in his hands. He quietly moved his fingers, silently playing some of the same songs Adam had played earlier. The muscle memory making it almost effortless. 

His skin suddenly felt too tight and warm. Dropping the guitar down onto the couch a bit rougher than he intended, he walked straight out the back door and into the rain. Blake took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the freezing droplets hit his face. He felt the water soak through his layers and sting his skin. There was a very good chance he’d get himself sick but it felt too good for him to care.

Blake opened his eyes and looked over at the direction of the lake and slowly made his way over, being extra careful to avoid the piles of mud. Everything always seemed much clearer when he’d watch the water droplets hit the still water. 

When he got there he stood underneath the redbud tree he had planted almost a lifetime ago. It had grown to about 30 feet tall and while there were many of them around town, this was the only one of its kind on his property. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there looking out at the water when he noticed he wasn’t alone.

“What are you doing out here?” Blake wiped the rain out of his face and turned to Adam who looked absolutely drenched and freezing in his jeans and henley. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Adam said as he wrapped his arms around himself.

“I thought you were taking a nap?” Blake asked.

“I went to see if you had any extra pillowcases and I saw you walk this way.” Adam said as he rubbed his hands together to retain as much warmth as he could. 

“You should go inside. Your lips are turning blue and you’re gonna give yourself pneumonia out here.” Blake scolded.

“And you’re immune?” Adam shot back. He looked up at the tree. “This the one you planted?”

“Yeah.” Blake nodded and turned around to face the tree. 

“It’s really beautiful.” Adam said through chattering teeth. 

“The leaves are usually long gone at this point.” Blake looked at it curiously. “The weather must’ve only recently turned the last couple of weeks.”

“What are you doing out here, Blake?” Adam asked.

“Not sure.” He answered truthfully. They stood there in silence for another few minutes before Blake was sure that if he didn’t get Adam warm soon his fingers were going to fall off and Carson would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“Let’s get you warm.” He grabbed Adam’s arm and pulled him in the direction of the house. Adam huddled in closer to Blake to try and steal as much of his warmth as possible.

They stood at the back door under the awning and let the water drip off them. Blake opened the door and Adam let out a sigh of relief as the warmth hit them. Neither of them made a move to enter the house. Looking at the state of them Blake knew there was no way he was going to track all this water into the house and ruin his floors. 

Steeling himself, Blake began to take off his boots and socks and motioned for Adam to do the same. Adam pulled off his sneakers and placed them next to Blake’s boots next to the door. Blake then started to unbutton his flannel and looked away as he peeled it off, leaving him in a white shirt that probably wasn’t hiding much. He pulled it away from his skin and tried to squeeze as much water out as he could.

He looked back up when he heard the wet splat of Adam dropping his shirt to the ground. Blake’s eyes zeroed in on the small red mark on Adam’s stomach. It looked like it was going to heal without any issue; like it had never been there at all. Blake imagined it would be a similar feeling when Adam finally went back to California. Instead of a small cut it would just be Blake. He'd be a vague memory of a small, inconsequential moment in time that didn't even bother to leave a mark in the grand scheme of Adam's life. 

Blake shook that thought off and looked up at Adam. He hadn’t moved, just looked at Blake curiously waiting for his next move. Blake met his eyes and began to unbutton his jeans and winced as he slowly pushed the wet denim down and off his legs. He dropped them on the ground next to his flannel and watched silently as Adam dragged his wet jeans off as well. A feat that couldn’t have been easy considering they were already pretty tight to begin with.

They both stood there, Blake in his boxers and wet shirt and Adam in just his boxer briefs. Blake had seen Adam in a similar state of undress, albeit with a jacket on, but it still surprised him that he didn’t have any tattoos below the waist when his top half was practically covered.

“You have big feet.” Adam suddenly broke the silence. Blake dragged his eyes away from Adam’s legs, looked down at his own feet and then back up at Adam.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Always have had.”

“You know what they say about men with big feet?” Adam asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not really, no.” That was a lie. He knew exactly what they said but he wanted to hear Adam say it.

“Big feet…” Adam dragged his eyes slowly down Blake’s body until he got to his feet and then just as slow back up until he was looking directly into Blake’s eyes. There was a playfulness in Adam’s gaze mixed with something darker and Blake held his breath waiting for his next words. “Big shoes.”

Blake let out a loud laugh that died very quickly when he saw that Adam wasn’t laughing with him. He knew there was no way in hell he just saw Adam lick his lips. Hypothermia was likely kicking in and making him hallucinate. The next hallucination came in the form of Adam running his hand down his stomach and hooking his thumb into the side of his underwear. He tugged just slightly to reveal more of his hipbone as though he was considering whether or not to pull them off. 

Despite being soaking wet from the rain and the cold Blake felt like he was standing next to a furnace. He was pretty confident that Adam could read the panic on his face because he just smiled and bent down to grab his clothes and walked back into the house. Blake let out a shaky breath and grabbed his own wet clothes and followed Adam into the laundry room and threw them in the basket for the next wash. 

Adam opened the dryer and pulled out a pillowcase and a towel. “I’m gonna take a hot shower and have another go at passing out.” Blake nodded but didn’t say anything in response.

He stood there staring at the washing machine as Adam walked out of the room. A few seconds later he felt something wet hit his back and he turned around and picked it up. It was Adam’s black boxer briefs. Blake threw them in the basket with the other wet clothes. He leaned down and banged his head softly on the washing machine lid. This was torture.


	16. Chapter 16

So here’s the thing. He tried to take Adam hunting. Tried being the operative word here.

Blake kept casually dropping hints during the week that they were going to do it and Adam seemed okay with it. He was perfectly fine with it until Blake woke him up at 6 in the morning and told him to get ready and threw the camouflage outfit at him.

“You’re gonna come shoot somethin’ with me today.” Adam dragged himself out of the house all dressed up in green, brown, and grey. He looked absolutely miserable. Blake walked out of the door and knocked right into him. Adam gave him an unimpressed look while Blake made a joke about not being able to see him on account of Adam blending in so well with nature.

Adam took a sip of coffee from his thermos and stuck up his middle finger at Blake who laughed at him in return. He ignored Adam’s lack of enthusiasm since he had enough of that for the both of them. He took him out into the woods behind his property and told Adam stories about when he used to do this with his Dad when he was a kid. 

“Must’ve been hard hiding from the deer when you were a 7 foot tall eight year old.” Adam joked.

Blake smiled back at him. He was happy to see that Adam was a bit more awake and looking around the woods with interest.

Everything seemed to be going fine until Adam thought he heard a howling noise and began to have a panic attack. 

“What the fuck was that?” Adam shouted and backed up against a tree, gripping his rifle tightly to his chest.

“That was nothin’, come on.” Blake tried to coax Adam to keep moving but he refused to budge. He then spent a full hour convincing Adam that the rustling sound and noise he heard was a strong wind moving through the trees and not actually wolves. After teasing him about the pretend wolves that roamed the woods of Tishomingo when they went clothes shopping he kind of deserved Adam’s freak out. It only got moderately better from there. 

It took him another 45 minutes to show Adam how to properly hold and shoot the rifle since Adam was convinced he knew what he was doing. He did not know what he was doing. Blake had him practice on some cans to get the hang out if. He tried to warn Adam about the kickback but he again insisted that he knew how to shoot a rifle and as soon as he pulled the trigger Blake watched as Adam’s shoulder rocked back fairly hard.

Adam looked at Blake and dared him to say something about it. Blake put his hands up in surrender but said nothing. 

Adam shook the ache out of his shoulder and Blake silently nodded when he saw Adam move into the correct stance on the next shot. He managed to knock over 4 of the 7 cans Blake had set up which he admitted to Adam was pretty impressive. 

When Blake announced they should try on a moving target Adam outright refused to shoot a deer, which was fine since deer hunting season didn’t officially start until the end of the month. 

“You can shoot at a turkey, they’re stupid.” Blake said and pointed in one direction. 

“Fine, but only if we eat it.” Adam said hesitantly. He knew there was no way he was shooting a turkey. They walked around the woods for a bit until they got to the other end of the lake. Having not been able to actually find a turkey Blake pointed at a duck floating nearby and nudged Adam with his elbow.

“That easy enough for you?” Blake asked. Adam didn’t respond. He just rolled his eyes and pulled the rifle off his shoulder. 

“Just take a breath and slowly pull the trigger.” Blake instructed. 

Adam looked through the scope and paused for a good two or three minutes. Blake crossed his arms across his chest and waited.

“Shut the fuck up, Blake.” Adam whispered. 

“What’re you talkin’ about? I didn’t say anything.” Blake whispered back. He didn’t know why they were whispering, it’s not like the duck was going to hear them.

“You’re thinking really loud and it’s distracting. I’m gonna do it.” Adam said.

“Then do it.” Blake responded.

“Fine!” Adam reluctantly took one shot and just barely missed the duck by two inches. 

“Good shot, man!” Blake let out a whoop of excitement which quickly turned to confusion when Adam said “Nope!” and handed him the rifle and walked back to the house. 

Adam insisted that he missed on purpose which Blake didn’t really believe for one second. “Nah, man. You definitely tried to kill it!” He teased. Blake got it though. Hunting isn’t for everybody.

Blake wasn’t about to let him off too easily though. He insisted that they were going to catch their dinner one way or another and convinced Adam to go fishing instead. Blake was surprised at how quickly Adam agreed to the change in plans. He was so excited in fact that he hadn’t even bothered to change out of his camo. 

As it turned out, Adam was really good at fishing. Suspiciously good at fishing. Obnoxiously good at finishing, in fact. Blake thought he was going to be one of the squeamish types who couldn’t bait the hook but he was pleasantly surprised. He was even more surprised that Adam caught a fish before him. 

“Every Summer since I was old enough to hold a fishing pole my Dad would take us out on a boat or to the docks to go fishing.” Adam said as he unhooked his fish. When Adam noticed Blake hadn’t said anything he looked at him with a big smile on his face. 

“You’re pissed that I’m better than you at fishing, aren’t you?” Adam put the fish in the bucket and started to bait his hook again.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll give it to you, you’re way better at fishin’ than you are at huntin’” Blake admitted. 

“If I wanted to shoot the duck, I would’ve shot the damn duck!” Adam said in exasperation. 

“I never said you couldn’t.” Blake said with a grin.

Blake then started to tell Adam his own stories about going fishing when he was a kid. About being so excited the first time his Dad took him out when he was six years old but then cried all night when he didn’t catch anything.

“I was so upset that I snuck out into the garage and took my little pole out to the lake at about 7 in the morning the next day before everyone got up. I didn’t know how to put the hook on though so for a while I just threw the line out into the water and didn’t understand why the fish weren’t bitin’”. Blake recalled with a slightly bashful smile on his face.

“That’s adorable.” Adam cast his own line and turned back to Blake. “Did you figure it out eventually?”

“Yeah, my brother eventually came over and put it on for me. Turns out he was hiding behind a tree watchin’ me the whole time to make sure I didn’t drown or hurt myself.” Blake looked out into the water and gripped his pole tightly at the memory. Adam put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

They stood there in comfortable silence for almost an hour before Blake felt a pull on his rod and began to reel it in. It wasn’t as big as Adam’s but it was near close enough. He unhooked the fish and dropped it into the bucket next to Adam’s. 

As Blake started to bait his hook again Adam felt a strong tug on his rod. “Hey! Hey!” Adam shouted. 

“Shit, looks like you got a strong one.” Blake put his rod down and stepped closer to Adam. “You gotta pull it up and back!” Blake instructed.

“I know how to reel a fish in.” Adam said as he struggled to do just that. Adam straightened up his back and let out a loud curse from the effort. Black got behind him and put a hand firmly on Adam’s stomach. 

“You gotta be centered.” Blake watched as the rod bent almost in half. 

“Fuck! Fuck!” Adam shouted when he couldn’t reel it in any further. 

Seeing that Adam was about to let go, Blake lowered his hand and grabbed him tightly around the waist to wrap one arm around Adam’s hips. He pulled him back against his chest and put his right hand over Adam’s on the reel. 

Blake desperately ignored the feeling of Adam pressing his squirming hips into him and with a strong effort they both pulled the rod up and reeled it in as hard as they could. They could see something just about breaking the water and then it finally came into view.

It was a large, heavy looking piece of wood that must’ve broken off a tree and fell in during a big storm.

They stood there in silence, breathing heavily and staring at the floating piece of wood. Blake squinted and could just about make out where the line was snagged around a branch that was sticking out of it.

He felt Adam loosen his grip on the rod and shift back against him. Just slightly enough for Blake to realize two things. Firstly, how tight he was holding on to him. Secondly, how even though his brain tried to ignore it his body definitely had different ideas. 

Blake removed his arms from around Adam and moved back an inch and cleared his throat. “I don’t think we’re gonna be able to eat that.” Blake joked to break the tension.

“Fuck you! I still caught the first fish!” Adam turned and knocked his hips back into him which caused another unfortunate reaction as Blake let out a very loud and painful groan and doubled over. 

“Shit, Adam! What are your hip bones made of? Iron?” Blake put his hands on his knees and leaned forward while taking deep breaths. 

“Fuck, Blake. I’m so sorry! It was an accident.” Adam dropped the rod onto the ground and moved towards the bucket where their two fish were sitting on ice. He pulled a handful of ice out and reached out a hand towards Blake’s crotch. Blake smacked his hand away.

“What the hell are you doing?” Blake looked at Adam and then the melting ice in his hands in a pained shock. 

“Shit.” Adam had an equally startled look of surprise on his face. “I have no idea why I just did that.” Adam dropped the ice and wiped his hands on his camo pants.

“Just grab all the stuff. I think we’re done fishin’ today.” Blake slowly stood up and limped over to the bucket and grabbed it. 

“I can get that.” Adam rushed over and Blake took a step back. On the one hand his problem had clearly gone away. On the other hand, fucking ouch!

“I got it. Just grab the rest of the stuff and put ‘em on the side of the house so I can wash everything down.” 

Blake made his way slowly back to the house and sat down on a chair in the kitchen. He didn’t want to sit on the sofa, as inviting as it looked, on account of how dirty he was. Blake shifted uncomfortably in the chair and threw out a silent prayer that Adam apparently hadn’t noticed anything. Or if he did, he wasn’t going to say anything about it. At this point he wasn’t even sure if that was a blessing or a curse. The last few days there seemed to be an odd tension between them that Blake had tried too hard not to think about.

The problem being that if he started thinking about it, he’d never stop. Late at night in his room, Adam just down the hall, he would let himself start to go down that road before shutting it down completely. _This is temporary._ He’d repeat to himself over and over. Adam would leave soon enough back to California and his life. People like Adam didn’t have room in their lives for nobodies from nowhere like Blake.

Another bigger part of him still wasn’t convinced that this thing between them wasn’t all completely in his head. That Adam being flirty and walking around half naked all the time isn’t just something he did with all his friends. 

He wasn’t shy about his body like Blake was. He wasn’t **anything** like Blake was. He wished he had 1/10th of the confidence that seemed to come so naturally to Adam. He’s not sure what he’d do with it, but he’d welcome it even for a day. 

He looked up when Adam walked in the door with an apologetic look written all over his face. He went to the fridge and grabbed three bottles of water. He kept one for himself and handed the other two to Blake.

Blake looked at them in confusion until Adam nodded his head toward Blake’s crotch. “For your balls.”

“I’m fine.” Blake shifted uncomfortably, opening one bottle and putting the other down on the counter. 

“I’m sorry, man. If you were a normal sized person I would’ve gotten you in the stomach.” Adam said. Blake took a sip of his water and gave him the middle finger.

“Besides you can’t blame me! I didn’t even see you standing there… on account of the camouflage and everything.” He said with a smile, throwing Blake’s earlier joke back at him.

“You’re such a jackass.” Blake said with no actual heat behind it.

“And you’re a big tall idiot.” Adam smiled back. 

And just like that everything was okay once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not convinced this isn't a slow burn because I just haven't written the second half of this story yet. I promise we're getting there and more familiar faces will be appearing soon. Thanks for all your lovely comments and kudos. 
> 
> This chapter inspired by the duck story from when Adam was on Jimmy Kimmel vimeo.com/391828387


	17. Chapter 17

Things were not okay. Adam had been acting very strangely over the last few days. There was a bit of awkwardness around them that hadn’t been there previously. Blake could feel Adam’s eyes on him all the time now and it was driving him slowly insane. Not the good kind of crazy either, where he got to act on something stupid that he’d been denying to himself for months now. The paranoid ‘Did I spill something on clothes?’ kind of crazy. He had been doing it for days now. It was hard to concentrate enough with Adam in the room most days, let alone staring at him like he was. 

It was the same look he’d given Blake when he had gotten the splinter out of his stomach the day they were chopping wood. He started doing it more frequently after they had gotten back from fishing. Adam spent the rest of that afternoon apologizing to Blake and had insisted that he was going to cook the fish they caught for dinner and that Blake should just relax.

“You’re gonna cook?” Blake asked incredulously.

“Yes. I actually do know how to cook, believe it or not.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest. He looked insulted and Blake would be lying if he didn’t find it adorable. 

“I figured you’d have a personal chef or somethin’ to come cook for you.” Lord knows if he had that kind of money he’d hire a full time staff to do everything he hated doing. 

“I’m rich, but even I can’t justify something like that.” Adam said with his head in the fridge.

True to his word Adam made them dinner, and despite it being one of the healthier fish dishes he’d ever eaten, Blake enjoyed it immensely. 

During their meal he caught Adam watching him several times out of the corner of his eye. At first he thought he had something on his face, but when his napkin came back clean he ruled that out. Then he thought maybe Adam was self conscious about his cooking since it was the first time he’d ever cooked for Blake. He kept reassuring him that everything tasted great and he did a good job. Adam didn’t even seem to acknowledge the compliment. He just continued to give Blake that same curious look like he was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. 

It happened again when Blake was changing a lightbulb in the living room. Blake almost fell off the stepladder when he saw Adam standing in the doorway head cocked with that same annoying expression on his face. Only it was slightly different this time. He was biting his lip like he was trying to hold something in.

“Christ, Adam!” Blake shouted in surprise as he tried to get his balance back. Adam had simply apologized and walked out of the room, again, with no explanation. Blake knew he needed to ask him what was wrong but he couldn’t work up the courage to do so.

It eventually got to the point where Blake started to have trouble sleeping. He spent a good part of his night thinking about what he could’ve done to offend him. He stopped complaining about Adam stealing his jacket, having come to terms with the fact that he was not very likely to ever get it back. Adam knew he was joking when he said he was shit at hunting and he also accepted Adam’s apology when he accidentally slammed his hip into his dick. Maybe that was it. Maybe he felt how Blake had reacted to Adam rubbing up against him and now was trying to think of a nice way to say he wanted to go home. He really hoped that wasn’t it. The idea of even bringing that up was too mortifying to even consider. 

So instead Blake continued to act like he didn’t notice Adam’s eyes following him. He refused to acknowledge it at all, that is, until the third day of it when he was trying to pay some bills and felt the now familiar gaze from the other side of the kitchen.

“Can you stop lookin’ at me like that?” Blake finally snapped. He couldn’t take another second of it. The not knowing was killing him. 

“I’m not looking at you like anything.” Adam responded. The mischievous look on his face saying something different. Blake rolled his eyes.

“You’re lookin’ at me like you’ve got nothin’ but bad intentions and I got shit to do so cut it out.” Blake warned.

“Hmmm.” Adam pretended to think about it. “Okay, I’ll stop.” Blake sighed in relief. “When you do.”

“When I do what?” Blake finally looked up with a mix of annoyance and confusion.

“Looking at me like you wanna fuck me.” Adam said in the same tone he’d use if he was telling Blake about the weather.

“I… I don’t… what…” Blake stuttered, all the color draining from his face. _What the fuck? What the actual fuck? Where had **that** come from?_

Blake suddenly felt like he had dropped into an alternate dimension where people said shit like that to him. He had to have misheard. 

“Oh, come on. I clocked you from the moment we met. You kept looking at my jeans and turning super red.” Adam had a smirk on his face that, if Blake wasn’t about to die of an actual stroke, he’d find it extremely attractive. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Blake looked back down at the papers in his hands. He couldn’t read the words, the feeling of panic making everything look blurry. He felt like he was going to pass out. 

“No? You’re telling me that you don’t?” Adam asked in disbelief.

“I… No?” Blake’s throat felt very dry all of a sudden. 

“Was that a question? The answer was clearly yes.” Adam was definitely smiling now. Blake couldn’t look at him but he could hear it in his voice. 

“It was not. You’re makin’ shit up now!” Blake said desperately. He wasn’t making shit up. Blake tried to think if Adam was right about how he’d been looking at him but came up blank. Had he really been that fucking obvious from the start?

Adam pushed away from the counter and took a slow step forward.

“S’that right?” Adam asked. “You’re telling me that if I had walked back into your shop that first day, bent over your counter and asked you to…” Blake stood up quickly, the wooden chair dragging loudly against the floor. Adam jumped back a step, startled by the quick motion and sound of the chair.

“Whoa. Blake, I’m sorry, man. I was just fucking around.” Adam started to apologize and threw his hands up in surrender. Blake locked onto his eyes and then walked towards him slowly but with purpose. Adam took another step back but realized as he was pressed against the counter that there was nowhere else to go. Blake put his hands flat on either side of him against the counter top so that he caged him in. Adam felt extremely small as Blake towered over him, his hands pressed firmly to Blake’s chest. Blake had no doubt Adam could feel how wildly his heart was beating. 

“Yeah. I did want to.” Blake admitted softly. “I want lots of things.” He moved in just an inch closer as Adam sucked in a deep breath. “Doesn’t mean I get to have ‘em.”

“You can.” Adam responded softly and leaned forward, their noses practically touching, his left hand clenched Blake’s shirt just slightly.

“No.” Blake smiled sadly at Adam. “I can’t.” He stepped away and walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. He wordlessly handed Adam one and went back to his paperwork, the conversation was clearly over.

Adam stood in the kitchen, eyes wide, the cold drink in his hand. Giving one last look at Blake, Adam turned and walked out of the room. Blake held his breath. It was quiet for several minutes until he heard the sound of the guitar strumming coming from Adam’s room.

 _Stupid. Stupid. Fucking stupid!_ He slapped his forehead repeatedly. He cannot believe that just happened. He cannot believe he just said that. He actually admitted to Adam that he wanted to have sex with him. Even more horrifying, Adam had clearly been aware of Blake’s obvious interest the entire damn time. It had to be all the fresh air out here. He wasn’t used to it. It was clearly fucking with his head.

The next week was going to be unbearable. That is, if Adam even wanted to stay now. He wouldn’t be surprised if the man asked him to take him to the nearest airport. He fucked everything up. He just couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. 

The guitar playing went on for about an hour and Blake spent most of that time thinking about what to say to him when he came out of his room. He kept replaying the last few days over and over in his head. He felt like he should’ve seen this coming and yet he’d never been more blindsided by anything in his life.

The fishing incident wasn’t ideal but there had to have been something else that brought this one. Blake went through their time together since they’ve been here and felt more and more stupid as certain things came back to him. Sitting too close on a huge couch, watching Adam when he did his morning yoga, touching him for a bit too long to be friendly when he got the splinter out.

_I’m such a fucking idiot._

He quickly finished up his paperwork and started pulling food out of the fridge. He got himself so worked up by what he was going to say to Adam that by the time dinner was ready he was almost too nauseous to eat.

Thankfully, and surprisingly, dinner wasn’t awkward at all. From the moment Adam came out of his room and sat down to eat he was talking a mile a minute and joking around about the amount of red meat he’d eaten this week like nothing had ever happened. That is to say, nothing **did** happen. But not making the thing that definitely didn’t happen awkward… Blake was thankful for that.

So he took his cue from Adam and started acting like everything was normal. That they weren’t two people who had just admitted to being attracted to each other. Well, Adam hadn’t said explicitly that he wanted Blake, just that Blake could have him if he wanted. 

Oh, how he wanted. Now that it was out there Blake was hyper aware of Adam in a way that he hadn’t allowed himself to be before. Even though he was pretty clear with himself that this couldn’t happen, it didn’t stop him from looking. Only now he started to notice that he wasn’t the only one. When Blake took a sip of his drink during dinner he saw Adam’s eyes zero in on his mouth as Blake licked his lips. Had he done this before and Blake just hadn’t noticed?

He started to question everything. Why was Adam really here with him? There were hundreds of things he could be doing with his time off. Why come to Oklahoma? Why Blake? The very idea that Adam wanted something more than friendship with him was unthinkable. He’s already put himself through this once before. Attached himself to someone who had ambitions that were much bigger than being with him. 

“Hmmm?” Blake focused again on Adam. “Sorry I was somewhere else. What’d you say?” Adam rolled his eyes but with a smile.

“I said do you want to watch a movie?” Adam repeated himself. 

“Yeah.” Blake stood and grabbed the dishes. “Pick somethin’ out and I’ll be in in a minute.” He took his time washing the pots and pans, and wiping everything down. He knew he was stalling and with a deep breath made his way into the living room. Adam was sitting on the couch watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Adam looked over at Blake briefly when he entered the room.

“I was looking for something to watch and this was on and I got caught up in it. We can change it if you want.” Adam held out the remote to Blake.

“This is fine.” He sat down awkwardly at the other end of the couch. They watched the movie in silence, not commenting and joking around like they normally did. Blake glanced over and saw that Adam’s leg was starting to go and he held his breath.

“Blake…” Adam broke the silence but didn’t take his eyes away from the movie.

“Yeah…” Blake responded. His heart was beating like crazy and he felt a bead of sweat at his temple.

“Do you…” Adam paused and looked at Blake hesitantly. “Do you wanna smoke some of the weed I have stashed in my bag?”

“Oh, Christ, yes!” Blake said on an exhale. Adam jumped up like a shot and went to his room. Blake couldn’t remember the last time he got high, but if there was any time he needed it, now was that time.

Adam came back holding the joint and sat cross legged facing Blake on the couch as he lit it and took a long hit. He held it in for several seconds before letting it out in one long stream. He handed it over to Blake who did his best not to flinch when Adam’s fingers brushed his.

Adam opened his eyes and watched as Blake took his own long pull. It wasn’t long before he felt his shoulders lower and a feeling of relaxation fill his body. He opened his eyes and smiled at Adam who was already smiling back.

_This was without a doubt the dumbest idea they'd ever had._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Was on vacation and then realized I'd pretty much caught up to what I'd already had written. 
> 
> I guess the plot had to move forward eventually.


	18. Chapter 18

“How did you know?” Blake asked as Adam responded with a look of hazy confusion. They’d given up on the movie about an hour ago and have been hanging out on Blake’s couch smoking weed and talking about random nonsense. This was the first question that required a deeper answer.

“How did I know what?” Adam asked as he relit the joint and took another drag.

“That I played guitar.” Blake finished as though it was obvious that this is what he was asking the whole time.

Adam nodded and took Blake’s left hand in his. He ran his thumb across his finger tips. It took every ounce of strength Blake had not to shiver. Things were still tense enough between them that even a high couldn’t mask.

“That first day” He started. “You gave me your left hand to shake for some reason.” Blake let out a loud groan, suddenly remembering how embarrassing that was. “When you shook my hand I felt the calluses on your fingers.” He continued.

“They should’ve gone away years ago.” Blake looked down at his hand still in Adam’s. “I occasionally rub them on the edge of my desk at the store when I’m feeling stressed. I guess it’s kept them from disappearing completely.” 

“I’d really like to hear you play.” Adam looked sincere but Blake shook his head.

“I’m not any good.” Blake reluctantly pulled his hand back. 

“I think you’re great.” Adam responded. Blake smiled at him sadly. However nice that was to hear it didn’t make it true. 

They sat there quietly, looking at the ceiling fan, basking in the high. Blake felt more than saw Adam’s leg start to move up and down. From the short amount of time Blake knew him this usually meant he wanted to say something but had to work himself up to do so. He sat quietly and waited another minute before Adam spoke up.

“Why did you stop playing?” Adam asked finally. Blake let out a long breath through his mouth. “Sorry. You don’t have to tell me.” Adam bit his lip to keep from saying anything else that might upset Blake. 

He wasn’t sure if it was the pot or just sitting this close to Adam but he found that he did want to tell him. He wanted to tell him everything. Even the things that he was too embarrassed to tell Luke. He knew Adam lived a much wilder life than he did and nothing he could possibly say would shock him. Steeling himself, Blake leaned forward and grabbed the joint and took one long pull. He looked at Adam who had his eyes raised in surprise and let it out in a slow exhale. 

“So I was married.” Blake started. “We were high school sweethearts, and then on and off again for years after that. We thought about getting married about 5 or so years later. It was what all our friends were doing and I loved her but she kept saying it wasn’t the right time. So I waited.”

Adam sat up and didn’t say a word. This was the stillest Blake had ever seen him. 

“She would always talk about the future like she had all these big plans and you just knew that she’d do it. It wasn’t until years later that I ever realized that whenever she was talkin’ about her future I was never in it.” Blake continued. He looked down at his hand where his ring used to be and ran his thumb over the naked skin.

“We were about 25 when she showed up at the house I was renting. It was late at night and she had brought a big bottle of Jack and asked me if I was going to invite her in. I hadn’t seen her in about two or three years at this point. Last I heard she went to Austin with some guy and performed at some music festivals there.”

Adam’s face scrunched up in a question at that. Blake put his hand up signifying that he would get to that later in the story.

“She said she wanted to talk and catch up so I let her in. We talked. We drank. We both got real messy and she kept telling me how much she missed me and that she wanted to come back. The next thing I know we’re having sex and when it’s over she tells me that we should get married right away.” 

“I was an idiot and I never stopped loving her so I grabbed the ring from my dresser drawer and we were married a month later.”

“Fuck. That was fast.” Adam said finally.

“Yeah. I found out years later from a mutual friend that she thought she was pregnant from that other guy in Texas and he didn’t want to be with her so…”

“Holy shit.” Blake wanted to laugh at the look of horror on Adam’s face. It’s been long enough that he can look back on it now and laugh at how stupid he was.

“She wasn’t though. But at that point we were already engaged and got married anyway.” 

“Thank fuck for that.”

“So I’m 26 years old and finally married to the love of my life. She starts mentioning that we should go out on the road and do music together. When we were in school we used to write and perform songs together. Mostly her songs. Actually, always her songs.”

“When I was real little I used to write these dumb little songs and my brother would play them on his guitar. He had this amazing C.F. Martin that he got from our Grandpa on his 12th birthday. I’m tellin’ you nothing sounded as good as that guitar.” Blake smiled at the memory.

“When he passed away I would lock myself in my room and just strum it for hours and write songs that probably weren’t any good. The first time I brought it to school she fawned all over it and wanted to play it, but I refused. She was so mad at me but I couldn’t let anyone else play it, y’know?” Adam nodded in sad understanding.

“We weren’t married two weeks before I came home and saw her playing it.” Blake frowned.

“I freaked out on her. I still feel a bit bad about that. She said we were married now and we’re family so it’s not like she’s some stranger touchin’ it and I guess it made sense at the time so I let her play it.”

“Whenever she’d go out to play a show she demanded she use it since her songs were written with it and it just didn’t sound the same on her Washburn. So I agreed. That went on for a few years. I’d still write my songs and play it every chance I could but more and more she’d take it for long weekends. That’s when we started to fight about leaving Oklahoma and moving to Nashville. She felt she was starting to build momentum and I swear every conversation we had ended with how much better everything would be in Nashville and how if she was ever gonna make something of her life she needed to be there and not here. So five years ago we left Oklahoma for good. At that point I wasn’t even allowed to touch my own damn guitar. She said she had it tuned just right for her songs and didn’t want me trying to mess with it. The one time she saw me playing it she accused me of trying to sabotage her career.”

Fuck, he could really use a drink. Going back to that place in his head immediately started to affect his high. He really didn’t want to be sober for this but it was too late to stop now.

“When we finally got divorced they argued that I gave it to her as a gift. She said that he would’ve wanted the guitar to be put to real use and not just sit in a beat up old house in nowhere Oklahoma. Since I couldn’t prove it wasn’t a gift she got it in the divorce. I remember getting so drunk one night and I called her cryin’ and beggin’ to give it back. She told me to grow up and be a man and hung up on me.”

“I was never really able to play much after that. Nothing felt right and I’d always hear her in my head tellin’ me that my songs weren’t good enough. After a while you start to believe it.”

“Dude, no offense and all but she sounds like a fucking nightmare.”

“None taken.” Blake smiled kindly at Adam’s look of anger on Blake’s behalf. 

“I can’t imagine being married to someone who would put me down and make me stop making music. Like, I honestly can’t imagine it. If I didn’t have music I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself. And fuck to take something that didn’t even belong to her and just decide it was hers? What the fuck?”

“That was the least of the shit she put me through. This just happened to hurt the most.”

“Fucking shit, man. What could be worse than that?” Even high, Adam was so expressive and his anger on Blake’s behalf was almost touching.

“You’d be surprised.” Blake laughed without any real humor behind it.

“Please at least tell me you went on a massive rebound hookup spree to spite her.”

“I honestly wish I had.” He wished he’d done a lot of things.

“Seriously, man. You need to like, have a threesome or some shit. You deserve it.”

“Yeah, not going there again.” Blake blurted without thinking. Adam’s jaw dropped.

“No fucking way.” Adam suddenly bounced up in his seat. _Fuck!_ Blake closed his eyes. _Wasn’t planning on letting that slip._

“You know you have to tell me everything, right?” Adam sat up on the couch with a bounce.

“I’m sure you’ve had hundreds of them. You really don’t want to hear about mine.”

“Oh, but I do, Blake. I really really do.”

Blake braced himself. He knew he was about to admit something he’d never told anyone before. It was like he physically couldn’t hold the words in.

“It’s a pretty depressing story actually, and it ended up being the breaking point in my marriage.” The smile dropped from Adam’s face.

“Look, I was just fucking around. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

“But you’re dying to know now.” Blake teased.

“I’ve never wanted to hear a story more in my life but this isn’t about me it’s about you.”

“Go grab the whiskey. I need something stronger than this.” He gestured towards the mostly smoked joint on the table in front of them. Adam quickly got to his feet and stumbled over to the bar in the corner of the living room. He grabbed the bottle and handed it to Blake. 

“Glasses?” Blake asked and Adam walked back over and grabbed one. Blake rolled his eyes and decided they were both fucked up enough that he didn’t care. He poured a generous amount and took a big sip. He handed it to Adam who did the same.

“She’d been talking about having a threesome to spice things up.” Blake began. “I think the idea of it might’ve been more exciting then the act itself. She was always jealous and would accuse me of wanting to sleep around with any woman I ever made eye contact with. No matter how many times I told her I wasn’t interested in anyone but her she would roll her eyes and give me the silent treatment.”

“Yikes”

“Yeah. Tell me about it. So one day she comes home and announces that for her birthday, she wanted to have a threesome. I knew it wasn’t going to be a good idea but at this point we’d been in Nashville for about two years and it’d been awful. So I agreed.”

“She told me she was going to set it up and that we’d sit down, just the three of us and talk it out so it wouldn’t be weird. She seemed like she put a lot of thought into it so I just went along with it.”

“A few weeks went by and she didn’t bring it up again. I figured she’d changed her mind. I booked this really nice restaurant and set up everything real nice at the apartment for after. We’d been fighting non-stop and I figured I’d try to make a real effort for her. Her birthday arrives and she is on the phone for a good part of the day. I get out of the shower that night and she tells me it’s happening. _‘Right now?’_ I panicked and got dressed. She said he was heading over and,”

“Oh fuck” Adam interrupts but says nothing else.

“I looked at her and said _‘He?’_ and she gave me this look and I started thinking about all the times she brought it up and it never really occurred to me that she never said _‘She’_ before.” He takes another sip of the whiskey, enjoying the burn.

“So she looks at me and says _‘Like I’m gonna trust you with another woman’_ and goes to answer the door.”

“In walks this guy, dark eyes, sandy blond hair. Real good looking and clearly younger and in better shape than I am.” Adam makes a face like he is going to disagree with that but Blake keeps going.

“I stood there like I’d just been punched in the face. I had no idea what to say or really grasp what was goin’ on it. It was happening real fast. I remember mentioning that we were going to miss our reservation and she said she already called to cancel it.”

“She introduced us briefly and grabbed his hand and pulled him past me to the living room that I spent over an hour setting up. She said she needed to get changed but that we should talk and get to know each other.”

“So here I am sitting on my couch with a total stranger that I’m supposed to have sex with in a very short amount of time. I’ve been attracted to and flirted with guys before but I’d never seriously thought about doing anything with another guy. So I had to get adjusted to that thought real quick.” 

“We talked for a little while, he didn’t seem uncomfortable with the idea at all. I think that helped a bit. We talked about football and how they had met. He played the fiddle in her band that she recently started. I asked if he’d done this kind of thing before and he said _‘sleep with a married couple? A few times.’_ ”

“She comes back and she looks so happy I knew there was no way I was gonna stop this. I wanted her to be happy and he wasn’t a bad lookin’ guy. We got along fine and I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t kind of into it when he ran his hand along my forearm. So I nod and she goes right into kissing him. Right in front of me. It was almost like an out of body experience watching them.”

“Then he put his hand on my chest and leaned over and started kissing my neck. I didn’t know what to do so I put my hand on his upper thigh and squeezed it a bit too hard because he bit down on my neck and I just remember letting out an embarrassing moan.”

“Then he opened his jeans up and got his dick out and I was like fuck, man. This is really happening. There’s no going back now.”

Blake was quiet for a moment, having thrown himself back into a place that felt like a lifetime ago.

“So what did you do?” Adam asked. Blake jumped just slightly. He almost forgot he was sitting there. Damn. This was a reason he shouldn’t mix weed and alcohol. He rubbed his hand over his face and continued. 

“He just kept whispering into my neck and asking me to touch him. I just remember slightly freaking out in my head because I knew there was no coming back from this, but just going for it. I took him in my hand and he started kissing my wife again and touching her and I dunno, man. I just remember thinking what the fuck and I guess I must’ve squeezed a bit rough on an upstroke ‘cause the next thing I know he lets out this real loud groan and I’ve got a strangers come all over my hand.”

“Oh shit. I’m sure she loved that.” 

“She lost her fucking mind.” Blake knocked back the rest of his drink and Adam took the glass and refilled it, taking a large sip himself. 

“She started yelling at the both of us for ruining everything and how this was supposed to be about her and her birthday. He zipped himself up and left at some point and I’m just sitting there in shock with my hand all gross and shit. Held out like I am presenting it to her or something. It was fucking awful.”

“Sorry, man, but your ex sounds like a real asshole.”

“Yeah, probably.” Blake admitted with a shrug.

“No. She’s an asshole. She shouldn’t have forced you into that shit. That’s super fucked up.”

“I get it, but she didn’t exactly force me. I could’ve stopped it at any time. She would’ve been pissed off but she wouldn’t have forced me if I really didn’t want to go through with it.” Adam didn’t look like he agreed with that but kept it to himself.

“It’s not how I planned on having my first time with another guy. I’d thought about it here and there, and he was a real good lookin’ guy. It was just, unexpected and started and stopped very quickly.”

“Damn. I was expecting some sexy as fuck story but now I just feel sad, drunk and a little bit stoned.” Adam’s bottom lip stuck out in a bit of a pout that Blake found obnoxiously adorable.

“Yeah me too” They sat there in silence for a few minutes until Adam’s leg started moving up and down again. Blake sat back and waited for the question.

“How would you have planned it?” Blake was taken aback by the question. He hadn’t expected that.

“Hmm?” Blake said in response. 

“You said it’s not how you planned your first time with a guy. If you had more control what would you have done differently?”

“Well I would’ve gotten off for starters.” They both laughed at that.

“Yeah, what a shit threesome.”

“Right!?” Blake loudly agreed.

“Three people. Only one gets off, and another one is just yelling shit and not in the fun way. Totally lame.”

“She was so fucking pissed.” Blake started feeling the giggles starting. “This guy just came all over my hand and I’m sitting there hand held out, and he was confused as shit like he didn’t expect it to happen.”

“Magic fingers” Adam looked down at Blake’s hand. Blake held his right hand out for inspection and shrugged. What a weird night.

“It’s funny now looking back on it. I got another guy off and still haven’t kissed one.” Blake frowned. 

“I can help with that, ya’know.” Adam blurted out. He looked over at Adam startled. Blake hadn’t realized he said that out loud. He felt the panic begin to rise.

“Adam, if this is about this afternoon. I’m sorry…” Adam put his hand on Blake’s thigh right above his knee. 

“I know. It doesn’t have to mean anything.” Adam scooted closer to Blake until he was practically pressed to his side..

“It would...” Blake said quietly and leaned in just enough to let Adam know that he wanted this.

“I know.” Adam agreed and moved forward and softly touched his lips to Blake's. He didn’t try to deepen it or push it any further. It was over too soon. Blake was too terrified to open his eyes, afraid that this was some hallucination that came from mixing weed and alcohol. 

“So?” Blake finally opened his eyes to see Adam looking at him curiously. He had a tinge of pink on his cheeks and his pupils were blown out, be it from the weed or what they’d just done. 

“It was nice.” Blake smiled. That was one way of putting it.

“Nice, huh?” Adam thought that over for a moment and nodded. He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. “I’ll take it.” He decided on a smile.

They sat there for a while each lost in their own thoughts, until they both drifted off. Neither of them acknowledged Adam’s hand still on Blake’s thigh.


	19. Chapter 19

They woke up the next morning on the couch, Blake’s head resting against the back, Adam’s against the arm rest, his leg over Blake’s thigh. They didn’t have time to process this and the events of the night before as they were too busy springing up at the sound of banging on the front door.

“Blake Shelton I cannot believe you didn’t tell me you were back in town you better open this door right now.” Several loud banging knocks followed.

“Shit.” Blake jumped up. He held his head as the hangover set in. “I’m sorry in advance.” He looked at Adam with sympathy and walked towards the door. He let a deep breath in and out and unlocked the door. 

“It’s about damn time!” She slapped his shoulder. “It’s freezing outside, did you know that?” She frowned at Blake and then did a double take in surprise when she saw Adam sitting on the couch looking a bit worse for wear. He gave her a shy wave.

“Oh good LORD. Did you kidnap this man? Did he kidnap you?” She asked Adam as she walked closer.

“The hell, Kelly? I didn’t kidnap him!” Blake said in annoyance.

“Hi. I’m not kidnapped. Here of my own free will.” Adam stood up.

“Well thank God for that. I was worried he finally snapped. Hi, I’m Kelly.” She put her hand out and then immediately pulled it back before Adam could shake it. **“OH MY GOD!”** She shouted. Adam winced at the volume. 

“Kelly…” Blake’s voice had a clear warning. 

“Oh my god. I’m being rude.” She went in and hugged him instead. “You’re Adam Levine.” She said as though it wasn’t obvious to everyone in the room. “That’s Adam Levine!” She said to Blake.

“Yeah. I did notice.” Blake responded sarcastically. 

“I love your music! I once sang She Will Be Loved in a talent show. I didn’t win. Not because I wasn’t amazing! Some bitch spent the day before flirting with one of the judges so of course she won.”

“She’s talkin’ about my ex.” Blake explained to Adam. 

“And you voted for her over your own flesh and blood.” She gave him a look of disgust.

“You must be Blake’s sister. He told me all about you.” Adam gave her a charming smile.

“All terrible things I’m sure.” She smiled back. She gave them both a curious look before turning back to Adam. 

“Are you sure he didn’t kidnap you?” Kelly whispered to Adam.

“Christ, Kelly. I didn’t kidnap him. We’re friends.” Blake explained, already tired from this conversation.

“Sorry!” She walked towards the kitchen. “You never call, you don’t tell anyone you’re in town. I had to find out from freakin’ TRACE! Said he you were in town with some city boy and of course I had to come see for myself.”

“City boy?” Adam said quietly and sat back down.

“Told you he didn’t recognize you.” He said to Adam and then turned back to Kelly.

“It’s only been about a week.”

“A week!” She repeats. “If our poor mother could see what you’ve become…”

“She’s not dead, Kelly!” Blake interrupted. 

“She might as well be to you! When was the last time you called?” 

“I know! I’ll go over there this week.” Blake said.  


“They’re in Georgia visiting Luke’s parents. She won’t be back until after Thanksgiving.” Kelly walked back into the living room and sat down next to Adam on the couch.

“So, what are you doing here with this idiot?” Kelly pointed at Blake with her red solo cup. 

“Just hanging out. Seeing the sights.” Adam answered. 

“The sights? In Tishomingo?” Kelly asked in amusement. “Okay, so what have you been doing for the other 6 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes?”

“Leave him alone, Kelly.” Blake tried to remember if he had any Advil left in his bathroom. 

“But seriously how’d you two meet?” She asked curiously.

“He…” Blake started.

“Tinder.” Adam spoke over him. “We both swiped right and I haven’t been able to stay away since.” He finished with a straight face.

“ADAM!” Blake shouted.

“Oh, I like him.” Kelly gave him a playful slap on the arm. “That’s fine, you can save the real story for tonight.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Blake said firmly but she ignored him.

“What’s tonight?” Adam asked cautiously.

“Y'all are coming over to mine for dinner.” Kelly finished her iced tea and put the empty cup on the table. 

“Kelly!” Blake followed her to the door.

“Nice meetin’ you, Adam. See y’all at 7!” She closed the door behind her.

They were both quiet for a minute until they heard her drive away.

“She’s friendly.” Adam broke the silence.

“She’s the devil.” Blake shook his head. “We need to think of a reason to get out of this.”

“Why? It’s not like we have anything else planned and she seems pretty cool.”

“That’s what she wants you to think.” Blake pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes tightly in pain. “I am too hung over for this.”

When he opened his eyes Adam was looking at him like he was debating on asking him something. The previous night suddenly came rushing back to him and Blake quickly looked away.

“I’m gonna take a shower.” He blurted suddenly and left the room before Adam could respond.

He turned the water so hot that it was almost scalding. He couldn’t believe he told Adam everything that he had last night. It was so embarrassing! Then Adam offering to kiss him out of pity and the idiot that he was, he took him up on it. He vaguely remembers the feeling of the brief press of lips and it’s just enough for him to turn the water slightly cooler.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Blake felt like he was about to have a panic attack. He spent a good 10 minutes trying to regulate his breathing and then realized how suspicious it was that he was in the shower for this long. 

_Oh GOD!_ Blake’s brain screamed at him in horror. _What if he thinks I’m…_

He didn’t get to finish the thought because there was a soft knock on the door. “Blake, are you ok?”

He bit his lip at the sound of genuine concern from Adam. _Why was he so stupidly perfect?_ Blake shut off the water.

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in a second.” He called back. He dried off and dressed quickly. When he came back into the kitchen he was surprised to see Adam pacing with a troubled look on his face.

“Look, I’m sorry if my joke about the tinder thing was out of line. I hope I didn’t make either of you uncomfortable.” 

“It’s fine, Adam. She knew you were joking.”

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have made her think we were… that you are...” He paused looking for the right word.

“Nah, Kelly don’t care. She was so thrilled when I got divorced she would text pictures of any single person with a pulse that she came across.”

Adam nodded but still didn’t look completely calm.

“About last night… and the last few days in general.” Adam started. Blake looked like he wanted to run. 

“I know I’ve been teasing you and shit. I’m really sorry if I’ve been coming on too strong. When we went fishing the other day I thought you…” Adam paused with a frown. “Well, anyway I promise I’ll back off. Or I can leave if you want. I’ll totally understand if you want me to leave.”

“No!” Blake all but shouted over him. He winced and then lowered his voice. “I mean, you don’t have to leave. I like having you around.” 

“I like being around.” Adam said with a soft smile. “I like talking to you and hanging out with you.”

“I like you too.” Blake smiled back. Even putting it out there the tight feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. He had to know. “If you knew that I... “ Blake stopped and then started again. “Why didn’t you say somethin’ before? If I was that obvious about it.”

Adam had a thoughtful look on his face as he considered his next words.

“I don’t get to hang out with a lot of normal people.” He admitted. “I always get the feeling they want something from me.” Blake nodded but didn’t interrupt. “I don’t get that weird, anxious feeling with you. I know when you look at me you see this famous person, but sometimes, most times, I think when you look at me you see…”

“You’re right.“ Blake interrupted. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty cool spendin’ time with a famous rockstar.” He then lowered his voice slightly as if he was telling a secret. “But I think I prefer hangin’ out with Adam.” Blake genuinely meant it, and from the way Adam’s breath hitched slightly he knew Adam believed him.

Blake felt the vibration from his cell phone in his pocket and knew it could only be from one person.

“Though you might want to hold on to that thought until after you’ve spent an entire evening with my sister.” He frowned at the text from Kelly. 

_‘If you even think about not showing up tonight I will find you and it will not be pretty.’_

Blake held up the phone for Adam to read the text. Adam mouthed the words to himself and then laughed.

“Is it bad that I am actually kind of excited to hang out with her?” Adam asked.

“Yes.” Blake said seriously. “She’s just gonna tell you embarrassing stories about me and it’s not even just her. She’s probably going to invite everyone we grew up with to get in on it.” Blake looked pained at the thought. 

“What if I promise not to ask to see any pictures?” Adam tried to bargain with him. Blake let out a suffering breath and nodded.

“Fine. We’ll go.” Blake gave in. Like there was any way Kelly would let him get away with not going. Adam rubbed his hands together in excitement. Blake did not like the look of this at all.

“Oh shit.” Adam looked worried for a moment. “I have nothing to wear.” He rushed off to his room. Blake rolled his eyes and followed him.

“What in hell are you talkin’ about? We just bought you clothes the other day. And you have your own clothes!” Blake pushed the door open. Adam was pulling everything out of the dresser and laying it out on the bed with a look of intense concentration. 

“I need to make a good impression.” Adam said as he picked up a shirt and tossed it off the bed.

“Why?” Blake asked in confusion. “You can show up in acid washed jeans and a filthy t-shirt and you’ll still be the most impressive person in the room.”

“Don’t be an idiot.” Adam said as he considered a pair of jeans. 

“I’m the idiot?” Blake shook his head. “I’m not the one who has his entire wardrobe out so he can impress some rednecks.” 

Adam pulled off his black t-shirt and threw on an identical shirt and looked at Blake.

“What do you think of this shirt?” Adam asked.

“If my back was turned I wouldn’t’ve even known you changed.” Blake shook his head at him. Adam looked at him like he was an idiot. He picked up the other shirt from the bed.

“This one is black.” Adam said as he tossed it to Blake. He then pointed at the shirt he was currently wearing. “ **This** one is deep navy blue.”

“My mistake.” Blake said sarcastically as he tossed the shirt back on the bed.

Adam looked down at the dark navy blue shirt he was wearing and then at the black shirt on the corner of the bed. 

“You’re right.” Adam nodded and started going through the other shirts on the bed. “This shirt is ridiculous.”

“I didn’t say it was ridiculous.” Blake said in a slightly exasperated tone that was wholly saved for Adam. Adam waved him away and Blake rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

It was going to be a very long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kelly is my favorite and should be protected always.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the really long delay. I got struck down by the 'rona and have been super ill for the last two and a half weeks. Not 100% yet, but feeling a lot better and finally managed to get some stuff down. I shall blame this on that should this chapter be crap. At least it's longer than the last one.

“Whatever you do, DO NOT drink her Sangria.” Blake warned as they got out of Blake’s truck. Blake pulled at the collar of his shirt. He felt unusually warm considering it was pretty damn cold out.

“Why?” Adam gave him a baffled look. 

“It’s lethal. She brought it to a Christmas event in town a few years back and the Mayor got so drunk she got him to let her be Mayor for a day.”

“Get the fuck out?” Adam couldn’t wait to hang out with this woman.

“I’m not kidding. She used her powers to ban my ex from ever returning which he didn't really hold up.” Blake shook his head. It was the thought that counted. No matter how sweet, yet insane, it was. 

“I’ve had moonshine with less alcohol content in it. Trust me on this.” Blake slowed down a bit, trying to drag the walk up to Kelly’s house out as long as humanly possible. 

When Blake had seen the number of trucks parked out front he began freaking out and listing off warnings to Adam.

“Right.” Adam nodded. “No sangria. If she corners me, blink twice if I need help. Got it!” 

“Don’t be a jackass.” Blake stopped walking suddenly. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. Do that!” Blake started walking again. Adam let out a loud laugh and followed him up the stairs to the door. Kelly’s house was a lot bigger than Adam was expecting. It had two floors and a big wrap around porch. He could see that there was quite a bit of land behind it. 

Blake saw Adam shifting next to him and pulling at his jacket. He took notice of what Adam was wearing for the first time that night.

“You’re actually wearing your own jacket for once?” He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he hadn’t given the other man a good look. Adam was wearing a blue flannel button down which lay open over a white t-shirt, the new denim jacket, and an older pair of black jeans that were just the right kind of tight. 

“You said Trace might be there.” Adam pulled at the sleeve of the denim. “I didn’t want to offend him by not wearing the jacket I got from his store.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t care.” Blake touched one of the buttons on the jacket. “You look nice.” Blake said, trying to seem more confident than he felt. _He looked a lot better than nice._

“Thanks.” Adam smiled and leaned in close enough that Blake could smell his cologne. “You look nice too.”

Blake took a flustered step back and walked to the door. “Here we go.” He knocked twice and turned the knob and made his way in the house. Something he’d regret mere seconds later.

“TOAD!” A man shouted in their general direction. Adam jumped at the volume of it. 

“Jesus Christ!” Blake said with a look of pain. 

_‘Toad?’_ Adam mouthed to Blake. Blake put his finger up to silence him.

“Get the hell in here and let me getta good look at ya!” A smiling man in a white cowboy hat came up to them and pulled Blake in for a hug. He was much shorter than Blake but only slightly smaller than Adam. Blake had to bend down to meet him.

“Brad.” Blake gave him a genuine smile. “It’s been a long time.”

“I’ll say!” He jokingly socked him in the arm. He turned to Adam and held his hand out. “Who’s your friend?”

Blake gave him an incredulous look. “You’re kiddin’ right?”

Adam reached out and took his hand. “Adam. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Brad smiled at him and turned back to Blake. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Oh?” Blake asked cautiously. He felt his heart start to race. He had no idea what Kelly had said to anyone about Adam or their relationship and the longer Brad stood there silently, the more Blake wanted to bolt.

“You always did have a thing for musicians.” Blake’s jaw dropped and Adam let out a loud laugh.

“Big fan.” Brad gave Adam a friendly tap on the arm and walked toward the kitchen. “Everyone’s out back. Can I get y’all a drink? Adam? Toad?”

“Beer’s fine.” Blake said. His throat suddenly felt very dry.

“Same, thanks.” Adam shouted after him. He leaned over to Blake, “I’m gonna find out about that nickname before this night is over.” Adam whispered.

“I don’t doubt it.” Blake motioned for Adam to follow him the same path Brad had gone. He met them in the hall and handed them their drinks before walking toward a sliding door to head in the backyard with the rest of the party. 

Blake made his way into the kitchen to find Kelly and Trace in deep conversation. Kelly was holding a big knife and seemed to be articulating her annoyance while waving it around. Trace stood there listening to her and could not have looked less concerned about it. 

“Hey” Blake interrupted. Trace took a silent step back as Kelly turned to face them. 

“Oh my God!” Kelly rushed over to them and Blake and Adam jumped back.

“Whoa!” They shouted in unison. Kelly rolled her eyes and put the knife on the island in the middle of the kitchen and turned back to give both men a large hug.

“I’m so glad you decided to come!” Kelly said with pure joy on her face.

“You didn’t leave us much of a choice, did ya?” Blake shot back in annoyance. Kelly shrugged him off.

“Well, alright. I’m glad you made the correct decision by coming so that I didn’t have to ruin your life.” Kelly leaned up on her toes and squeezed Blake’s cheek roughly. He gave her a look of displeasure and shooed her off. 

“What’s with the knife?” Blake looked around the kitchen but didn’t see anything else on the counters. 

“Oh!” Kelly walked over to the sink and picked up a wrapped head of lettuce. “I didn’t know if Adam was one of those people who don’t eat meat so I was gonna cut up a salad.” She explained and then frowned. 

“But then I was talkin’ to Trace,” She turned around and looked confused when Trace wasn’t in the room anymore but quickly recovered and continued, “and I realized I don’t have anything else to put it in so basically I just got him lettuce.”

“Christ, Kelly. He’s not a turtle.” Blake rolled his eyes at her.

“It’s cool. I eat meat.” Adam responded and Kelly’s shoulders dropped in relief.

“Thank God for that.” She tossed the lettuce back in the sink and put the knife back in its spot in the wooden block. “Welcome to my home!” Kelly said with a big smile.

“Oh!” Adam blurted and handed the Tupperware container he had been holding. “This is for you.”

“Aren’t you the sweetest!” She opened the container and pulled out one of the chocolate chip cookies. Kelly took a bite and let out a pleased groan.

“Good LORD these are good. Where did you buy these?” She asked Adam as she took another bite.

“We made them.” Adam answered proudly. 

He had Blake drive him around town but he didn’t like the look of any of the bakeries and insisted that they make some cookies to bring with them. Blake tried to insist that while he knew his way around a kitchen, baking was not his thing. Not that he’d never tried in the past. He tried to make a cake for his wife's birthday one year and it was an overcooked, burnt mess.

Adam was very patient with him and he couldn’t believe that he managed to not screw them up.

“We?” She looked at Blake incredulously. 

“He wouldn’t take no for an answer!” Blake said a bit louder than he needed to. “I told him we didn’t need to bring anything but he insisted.” Blake shuffled uncomfortably. 

“It’s rude to show up to someone’s house for dinner without cookies or cake!” Adam admonished. 

“When I made you dinner you didn’t bring me anything!” Blake shot back. Kelly watched them with amused interest. 

“Not true! I brought you pastries and CeeLo took them!”

“Well, if that’s your philosophy you can come over for dinner anytime you’d like.” Kelly put the cookies down on the counter and grabbed Adam by the arm. “C’mon. Everyone’s outside.”

“Do we have to?” Blake whined.

“Don’t be a baby. It’s not that many people.”

“How many is not many?” Kelly got quiet while she counted in her head.

“Countin’ you two… eight.” Still way more people than he would’ve liked but Blake nodded and followed Kelly out the sliding door that led to her backyard. 

Blake walked out prepared to have everyone rush Adam but surprisingly no one did. They all happily shouted Blake’s name, with a few ‘Toad’s’ thrown in the mix, and came over for hugs and handshakes. He introduced Adam and everyone was surprisingly cool about it. Suspiciously cool about it actually. Over the course of the next hour he kept waiting for someone to ask about how they met or about Adam in general but no one did.

“It’s a bit weird that no one’s said anything about Adam.” Blake said quietly to Brad who, up to that point, had been the only person to acknowledge that an extremely famous person was hanging out with them. It’s not that they didn’t all know who he was. He kept catching everyone glance over at Adam when he wasn’t looking. 

“Kelly explained he was coming over and threatened us all _thoroughly_ right before you got here not to say anything about it.” Brad admitted. “Except Trace. He has no idea who the hell Adam is.” Blake shook his head as he looked over Adam carefully carrying a tray of meat to the barbecue. 

Adam had asked Kelly if he could help with anything and she put him on meat delivery duty. She handed him a tray of marinated steaks and directed him to the man standing by the large grill. 

“This is a really nice house.” Adam put the tray down and looked around at the large property. From his conversations with Blake he knew they didn’t come from money. He wasn’t sure what Kelly or her husband did for a living but they seemed well off. 

“She married well. A few times.” He said as he closed the grill. He looked around and then leaned in close to Adam. “Rumor has it the last one is buried out back somewhere.”

“Wait what?” Adam looked out at the woods with wide eyes. 

“No one’s seen him in over a year. Poor guys dead or hiding. My bet is underneath the stables.” He lowered the flame a bit and turned to the cooler.

“Did you want a drink?” He asked, looking back at Adam who had gone a bit pale.

“I’m okay, thanks.” Adam looked around desperately for Blake. He saw him go back into the house and went to follow him. “Excuse me.”

“Blake!” Adam whispered to him as he closed the sliding door behind him. “Be honest with me.” Blake looked at Adam with concern that quickly turned to confusion. “Is your sister a murderer?”

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Blake asked, baffled by the questions.

“The guy grilling the steaks just told me she killed her husband and buried him in the woods!”

“Is that right?” Blake laughed.

“Don’t fuck with me, man.” Adam said seriously. 

“Was it this guy?” Blake walked over to a photo on the wall of Kelly in her wedding dress, wrapped in the arms of her husband.

“I’m such a fucking idiot.” Adam looked at the photo.

“What’s goin’ on?” Kelly came back into the house carrying a tray of food and put them on the counter. 

“Brandon told Adam that you killed your husband and buried him on the property.” Blake said with a straight face.

“Well I just might yet, Brandon!” Kelly shouted out the sliding door. They heard a shout back of _‘Love you!’_ and Kelly turned back to Adam with a smile. “I promise I’ve never killed anyone.”

“Well...” Blake started.

“That wasn’t my fault! He said he wanted his wings extra spicy! How was I supposed to know he had a heart condition?” Kelly poked Blake’s arm. “Besides he only flatlined for a minute. He’s totally fine now!”

Adam watched the two siblings with amusement. He really missed his own brothers and sisters back home. He had to make a point to call them soon.

“Food is just about ready. You can head in if you want.” Kelly pointed towards the dining room and then headed back outside.

Everyone slowly made their way inside and sat down around the table. Despite his hesitance in coming Blake was really happy to see everyone. It had been years since they'd sat down all together like this. 

Blake kept sneaking glances at Adam to make sure he wasn’t feeling uncomfortable or left out but Adam seemed to be having a good time. He was laughing with Brandon about the joke he’d pulled on him and complimented him on the cook of his steak.

“What did you marinade this with? This is probably one of the best tasting steaks I’ve ever had. No offense, Blake” Adam said before taking another bite.

“That’s all Kelly.” Brandon responded with a smile at his wife. “Don’t ask for the recipe, she won’t even tell me.”

“And I never will.” She said with a grin.

“Sorry, Blake.” Adam said as he grasped his shoulder. “I think I’m moving in here now.”

“Good luck trying to do your yoga with this one running her trap at all hours.” Blake nodded towards Kelly whose mouth dropped open in mock offense. “You might actually have to wear a shirt since she keeps this place ice cold because she hates to sweat.”

“I do NOT hate to…” Kelly began to defend herself when she was interrupted. 

“Sorry, Kelly. I can’t keep my mouth shut anymore. What’s the story here?” Jason asked from the other end of the table.

Kelly started to yell at him but Blake stopped her. He expected this much sooner to be honest.

“There’s not too much of a story.” Blake shifted uncomfortably with the attention. “He came into my shop and bought some records and we eventually got to talkin’ and hangin’ out and just became friends, I guess.” 

Adam looked over at him and nodded. That was technically what had happened. In the CliffsNotes of the events that had led them to this table. Well, more like the CliffsNotes version of the CliffsNotes.

“I don’t know, Blake. I’ve gone into lots of stores and rarely go on vacation with the owner after.” Jason responded skeptically.

“Rarely?” Brad asked.

“Yeah, well Trace and I went fishin’ this summer.” Jason pointed at the man at the other end of the table.

“It doesn’t really make sense.” Adam spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to him. “I met him and honestly didn’t plan on ever seeing him again. I knew right away that he massively under charged me for a record and I fought with myself over it for a few hours and decided the right thing to do was to go back and pay him for it.”

Blake sat there in silence. He never asked Adam why he was still in the area that day. His chest tightened a bit knowing that he was actually there to see him and that it wasn’t just a lucky coincidence. 

“We literally ran into each other near his shop and we got to talking and went out to lunch a few days later. It was fun. Blake’s awesome.”

“I don’t know about that.” Jason teased.

“No.” Adam said seriously. “He really is awesome. He’s helped me a lot on this new album we’re working on just by being someone to talk to when things are going crazy in my head. He’s funny, and real, and before tonight made one of the best steaks I’ve ever had.” He winked at Blake who desperately willed his face not to redden.

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to about normal shit when your life is definitely **not** normal, ya know?” They didn’t really know but understood the sentiment behind it.

“That’s really sweet.” Kimberly smiled and squeezed Brad’s hand.

“Yeah. It is.” Jason nodded as they all sat there quietly for a moment. “So are ya’ll fucking too or what?”

“Jason!” Kelly screamed. The entire table erupted and Kimberly slapped him hard in the back of the head.

“Don’t act like y’all don’t wanna know.” Jason responded and rubbed the back of his head. Kimberly had been wearing a ring that would definitely be leaving a well deserved mark. 

“Yeah…” Kelly agreed. “But I was gonna have a bit more tact about it.”

“Thanks, Kelly.” Blake responded sarcastically as he let out an annoyed breath and he tried to calm his pounding heart. 

“I was gonna wait until they got a bit more drunk first.” She continued. Blake stuck up his middle finger at her and she shrugged, not even sorry about it.

They looked over at Adam who suddenly let out the loudest laugh Blake had ever heard from him. His entire body was shaking with it and his face was bright red.

“Ho-ly shit.” He held his stomach and tried to talk through the laughter. 

“Look. He can have sex with whoever he wants to. I don’t care either way. I just wanna know if I need to be careful if I show up at his house. I don’t wanna accidentally see this idiot’s bare ass.” Jason explained as he pointed at Blake.

“That’s a good point.” Brad agreed and then let out a wince when his wife slapped him in the arm. 

This only made Adam laugh harder to the point he started coughing.

“Stop it, Jason! You’re gonna kill the poor boy.” Kimberly poured a glass of water and handed it to Adam.

“Thank you.” Adam said as he took a sip and wiped the tears out of his eyes. 

“No. We’re friends.” Blake said with a glare at Jason. “We’re not sleeping together.” 

“Not for a lack of trying.” Adam wiggled his eyebrows and Blake started to choke on air. This only set the table off further. Everyone started firing off questions at the two of them except Trace who continued to sit quietly eating his steak.

Blake stressed that Adam was joking and that everyone should mind their own business.

“Yup.” Adam nodded. “Totally joking.” He moved his foot so it rested next to Blake’s, just barely touching him.

Now that everything was mostly out in the open the questions turned more towards Adam’s career and some of the craziest things he’d seen while on tour. The questions kept coming but it didn’t seem to bother him at all. 

Blake sat back and listened to Adam talk with a feeling of contentment. He’d heard a lot of these stories in his various calls with Adam over the last few months, but seeing how animated he got was new.

He pressed his foot harder against Adam’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinner party is not over yet. Still more to come.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had the idea for this story in my head since Sept 2017 and this chapter contains the one bit of dialogue that really inspired the whole thing. However it’s said by a different person than originally intended because this story took on a life of its own.

“You won first place in a pageant, Kelly? That’s awesome.” Adam said as he pointed to the blue ribbon in a frame on the wall. Kelly turned to Adam with an almost sadistic look of glee on her face. Blake sat up, back rod straight. Adam looked at the siblings wearily as he heard muffled laughter throughout the room. 

“Actually...” Kelly started. 

“Kelly!” Blake warned. “Don’t!” Kelly waved him off and pointed to the photo next to the ribbon.

“It was Blake who was the big pageant star.” She handed the photo to Adam. He squinted but could see that Blake, indeed, was wearing the ribbon. He couldn’t have been more than 7 or 8 years old.

“Jesus Christ!” Blake covered his face in mortification. “You wanna know why there haven’t been any Hurricanes named Kelly?” He turned to his pain in the ass little sister with irritation. “It’s because one already exists!”

“No way!” Adam said and gave Blake a huge smile. “You were in a beauty pageant?” Adam looked at him like his birthday had come early.

“It wasn’t a beauty pageant! It was… a talent show.” Blake tried to explain. 

“Don’t be so modest!” Kelly sat on the arm of the couch next to Blake and put her arm around him. “Talent shows don’t have a formal wear portion!” 

“I have so many questions.” Adam looked at the photo and then back at Blake. 

“He was so cute, Adam! He used to get in trouble at school for singin’ in class when he got bored.” Kelly said with a grin.

“Which was all the time.” Jason laughed at the memory. “First time I met Blake was in the third grade in the principal's office because he kept tryin’ to convince Luke to sing along with him. And since Luke did everything Blake told him to do they were there a lot. Probably the reason his parents moved them back to Georgia for another few years.” 

“Why the beauty pageant though?” Adam asked even more intrigued. 

“Talent show!” Blake corrected. “It’s not a big deal. Like they said, I used to sing around the house and in school all the time when I was a kid. I was never any good at sports so my Momma entered me in that stupid show as some kind of outlet for my energy. The only way they would let me sing is if I did the whole dressed up part of it too.” He pointed at the picture. He was wearing a white button down shirt, a blue blazer, a matching blue tie, and a cowboy hat. 

“This is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” Adam said with a bright smile. 

“He sang Old Time Rock & Roll and he had all the ladies eating out of the palm of his, huge for a child, hand.” Kelly poked at him.

“How the hell would you know? You were two!” Blake exclaimed in annoyance. 

“Oh but Momma has the video doesn’t she?” Kelly teased. “You know I have an extra key I can pop on over real quick and get it if you want to see it, Adam.” Blake looked at her with murder in his eyes. 

“Maybe some other time.” Adam laughed at the two of them. 

Blake gave Adam a look of gratitude for letting it go and Adam gave him a look in response that let him know that they’d definitely be discussing this later.

Adam hung the photo back up on the wall and gave one last amused chuckle before turning around and gasping in surprise.

“Shit.” Adam grabbed his chest. “You’re really good at sneaking up on people.” Adam said to Trace who was suddenly standing next to him silently. Blake shook his head in amusement from the couch. For someone so tall and took up that much space, Trace was surprisingly stealthy. 

“So they say you’re a musician, City Boy.” It was more of a statement than a question. Trace looked at Adam with a bit of skepticism. 

“That’s what they tell me.” Adam gave him an uneasy smile. Adam was usually pretty good at cutting through the bullshit but he still couldn’t get a good read on Trace. 

“Pay in that can’t be too good.” Trace said, taking a sip of his beer.

“I don’t do too bad.” Adam shrugged. Adam glanced over at Brad who had snorted at that understatement.

“I hope not.” Trace moved in a bit closer. “That boy needs someone to take care of him after all the shit he’s been through.”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much!” Blake walked up to them with his arms crossed.

Trace just made a noise at that but otherwise didn’t acknowledge Blake. He kept his eyes on Adam.

“I never heard your music before. How bad is not too bad? What’d you make last year?” Trace continued his interrogation.

“Stop grillin’ the man!” Jason shouted. He rubbed at his head which was still a bit sore from where Kimberly slapped him. He definitely learned his lesson. 

“$13 million dollars.” Adam answered. A few impressed whistles sounded throughout the room but Trace didn’t even blink.

“Did you not cash the check?” He asked with a straight face.

“What do you mean?” Adam looked over at Blake who was equally confused.

“When you came into my store.” He paused, looking at the newish clothes Adam was wearing now. “Your clothes had all holes in them.” 

Blake let out a loud laugh at that and Adam **almost** looked offended.

“It’s one of those rockstar things, my friend. Don’t try to understand it.” Blake said in amusement. Adam relaxed when he saw the teasing smile make its way, albeit briefly, on Trace’s face. 

He raised his beer in a salute and Adam raised his own back. 

“Don’t listen to him.” Jason gave Adam a friendly, but solid pat on the shoulder. "Apologize is a great song, man"

__

__

“Is that right?” Adam asked with a tilt of his head. 

“Yeah. I would listen to it all the time while workin’ in my backyard.” Blake looked at Jason with disbelief. “What’s Timbaland like anyway?” Jason asked. 

“Can’t say I really know him all that well.” Adam shrugged. 

“What, he wasn’t friendly during recording?” Jason asked with confusion.

“I’m sure he was.” Adam said. “To Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic. Who sang Apologize.”

“Oh shit.” Jason laughed. “I must be drunker than I thought.”

“You’re a jackass.” Blake shook his head at his old friend. “Ignore him.” Blake turned to Adam. “He’s just fuckin’ with you.”

“Damn, Nashville suck all the fun outta you, Blake?” Jason rolled his eyes at him.

“If you’re all done talkin’ shit I got the fire goin’ outside.” Brandon said through the door. 

Everyone made their way outside except Kelly and Adam who she asked to help grab a few things to take outside with them. Blake sat in a cushioned chair in front of the fire-pit. The weather had dropped a bit since they went in for dinner, but the heat from the fire on his face warmed him considerably. 

Jason and Brandon were strumming their guitars softly and Brad and Kimberly talked about something cute their sons had done the night before. Being in this place, with these people, really made him miss Oklahoma. 

When Adam appeared ten minutes later he was slightly red faced as he sat down in the chair next to Blake and stared straight into the fire. 

“What the hell did she say to you?” Blake whispered to him in concern.

“Nothing.” Adam shook his head. Blake could see that Adam’s eyes were slightly glassy and was about to have a serious talk with Kelly if she said something to upset him.

“I don’t know what she said to you but I’m gonna find out right now.” Blake went to stand up but before he could Adam leaned in and grabbed his arm.

“She didn’t say anything. Chill!” Adam insisted. Blake leaned in a bit closer and took a deep breath before rolling his eyes.

“She made you drink the sangria, didn’t she?” Blake asked. Adam looked at him with wide eyes.

“I thought I was going to die.” Adam admitted and he let out an involuntary giggle. 

“How much did you drink?” Blake asked, eyebrows raised. 

“She just handed me a glass! I didn’t want to be rude!” Adam defended himself.

“Your manners are gonna get you hogtied in the back of a pickup truck if you’re not careful!” Blake warned.

“Oh are we talking about Brad’s 21st birthday?” Jason asked, overhearing Blake’s last comment.

“No. We’re not.” Blake glared at him. “Mind your damn business.”

“I wanna hear it!” Adam sat up and looked at Jason. “What happened at Brad’s 21st birthday?”

“I don’t remember.” Blake shook his head.

“Well then allow me.” Brad started.

“Haven’t y'all had enough fun tellin’ embarrassing stories about me tonight and makin’ me look like a jackass?” Blake asked, exasperated. Everyone looked at each other to consider this before looking back at Blake.

“Nope!” They all agreed in unison. 

“Well then I’ll tell the damn story.” Blake gave in. He did not trust a single one of them to tell anymore stories about him. They had a tendency to exaggerate things by saying Blake was too drunk to remember and couldn’t prove anything.

“Brad had just turned 21 and was having this big party.” Blake began. “They bought a truck load of beer and some bottles of liquor. Luke and I couldn’t come because we were only 17 and no matter how much we begged we couldn’t get anyone to get us a case of beer.”

“More like your Momma would’ve killed us if we gave you a case of beer.” Brad said. 

“So the night of the party when everyone was in the yard drinkin’, Luke and I snuck in the backdoor and grabbed a six pack off the counter. Luke had this brilliant idea that we should do shots from the bottle of tequila that was sittin’ out too. So we did two each and then grabbed the six pack. We almost made it out when Brad walked in and caught us.”

“I started yellin’ at them. There was no way I was gonna gettin' in trouble for those idiots.” Brad chimed in.

“So he’s yellin’ and we panicked so…” Blake looks over to Brad with an apologetic look on his face. 

“Oh no.” Adam smiled.

“I knocked his feet out from under him, got him rolled onto his stomach, and sat on him. I told Luke to run but he was freakin’ out sayin’ that he was gonna tell our Momma’s so he just started opening the cans and we started chuggin' them. We figured if there was no evidence we wouldn’t get caught.”

“You never were the brightest.” Kelly laughed as she joined them and sat next to her husband. Blake stuck up his middle finger at her which she happily returned as she took a bite of one of Adam’s cookies that she’d brought outside with her.

“Then Trace walked in.” Blake continued. 

Trace let out a small noise of amusement but didn’t add anything.

“He took a look at the three of us. Brad on the ground yellin’ and trying to kick me off, and Luke holdin’ his third can in his hand while holdin’ mine up to my mouth.”

“What did you do?” Adam asked Trace. 

“Yeah, Trace.” Brad said bitterly. “What **DID** you do?”

“I got a beer.” Trace responded with a shrug.

“He didn’t even pause for more than a second or two. He went to grab one out of the fridge and walked right back outside.” Blake laughed

“You got away with it?” Adam asked incredulously.

“Not exactly.” Blake winced.

“Idiots never had more than one beer, maybe two, at a time at the most up to that point. I was finally able to knock Blake off because the dumbass got himself too drunk to sit up straight.” Brad said.

“A few of the guys wrestled them outside and hosed them down.” Kimberly smiled at the memory.

“It was October and it was freezing. We had to sit in the back of Trace's pickup the whole drive back to my house soakin’ wet and when my Momma saw us…”

“I remember that!” Kelly chimed in. “If the water hadn’t sobered you up her yellin’ must’ve. She woke up the entire neighborhood.”

“I swear you must’ve shrunk a whole foot that night.” Brad laughed.

“She barely came up to his shoulders but he looked about 2 feet tall when she was done with him.” Kelly recalled.

“What was the song ya'll were singing in the bed of the truck?” Brad asked.

“Song?” Blake looked confused. He didn’t remember a song.

“Yeah. The two of you were in the bed of Trace’s truck singin’ a song over and over on the drive back.” Brad closed his eyes trying to recall that night in more detail.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Trace said with a shake of his head. “They weren’t singin’ the whole song. Just the damn chorus over and over for 20 minutes as soon as you said you were gonna take them home to be dealt with.” 

“I don’t remember that at all.” Blake shook his head. It sounded like something they would’ve done but the memory just wasn’t there.

“I do. Couldn’t get it out of my damn head for a month.” Brad said. 

“Sing it, Blake!" Kelly shouted.

“No.” He looked down at his hands and the calluses that Adam had run his fingers over the night before.

“You remember the words!” Brad pushed. _“Country roads, take me home!”_ Brad sang.

 _“To the place, I belong…”_ Blake’s head shot up in surprise when he heard Adam sing as well. 

“May I?” Adam asked Brandon who nodded enthusiastically as he handed Adam his guitar. 

“I don’t do that anymore.” Blake said quietly. 

“You used to love singin’ and playin’ guitar. Don’t let that bitch ruin your life anymore than she already has.” Kelly said with annoyed disapproval. Blake looked at her and then at Adam who was softly playing the first few chords of the song.

“I agree with Kelly.” Adam joined in. “Besides we sang rock songs and power ballads the entire drive to Oklahoma!” 

“That’s different. We were just messin' around and singin' like idiots not for real.” Blake said stubbornly. He looked around as everyone appeared to want to argue that fact. 

“Fine.” Blake said as he held his hand out to Brad.

“About damn time!” Kelly said as Brad passed his guitar over to Blake. Blake shifted until he got into a comfortable position and took a deep breath, closed his eyes and started to play.

_Almost heaven, West Virginia  
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River_

Blake opened his eyes when he heard Adam start to play along with him. He wasn’t singing along, just watching Blake intensely as he played. The look on his face almost made Blake stumble over the next lines. He looked at Blake with something resembling awe. 

_Life is old there, older than the trees  
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze_

He knew he could sing alright, but it was nothing to write home about. Adam appeared to disagree. There didn’t seem to be much about Blake that Adam wasn’t intensely fond of. When Adam joined in at the chorus and Blake felt himself shiver at how well their voices blended. He couldn’t take his eyes off Adam who seemed to be having the same issue.

_Country roads, take me home  
To the place I belong  
West Virginia, mountain mama  
Take me home, country roads_

Adam stopped singing and left Blake the next verse. Blake felt more confident as he continued to play. Everything coming back like he never stopped playing at all. He glanced over at his sister and friends and could see the genuine happiness in their faces. He looked back over to Adam and continued. 

_All my memories gather 'round her  
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water  
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky  
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye_

Blake couldn’t tell how much of the look in Adam’s eyes was the sangria and how much was… well… he wasn’t quite sure what. He didn’t get a chance to think more on that as everyone suddenly joined in, singing obnoxiously loud on the next chorus. 

_“Country roooooads, take me hooooooome!”_ They all shouted at the top of their lungs. Blake laughed at the ridiculousness of it all but joined in as he saw Kelly and Kimberly stand up and sing into their beer bottles.

 _“To the plaaaaaace I beloooong!”_ Blake looked back at Adam who was also shouting along with everyone. His eyes so bright and full of genuine fondness that it almost took Blake’s breath away. They all quieted as Blake and Adam finished the song. 

_West Virginia, mountain mama  
Take me home, country roads  
Take me home, down country roads  
Take me home, down country roads_

Everyone let out whoops of joy and suddenly one song turned in eight. Most of the songs Adam knew, a few he didn’t. With very little convincing, Blake blames the sangria, Adam agreed to sing a song with Kelly who he thought would pass out with joy. He insisted on hearing her almost winning version of 'She Will Be Loved' and after he agreed that Blake made a ridiculous decision in not picking her. Kelly gave Adam a high five and told Blake to “SUCK IT!” 

Blake threw up his hands in defeat and agreed that if he could do it over again he’d pick her. 

Adam then did a stripped down version of 'Apologize', and immediately gave Jason shit when he clearly didn't know the words. 

When Blake and Adam went to leave Kelly refused without them doing one more. They hadn’t had anything else to drink in the last hour and a half but she wanted them to stay as long as possible in case. That and she missed her big brother, not that she’d admit it to his face.

“What'd ya say?” Blake asked. Adam thought about it for a minute before starting to play ‘Fly Me to the Moon.’

_Fly me to the moon  
Let me sing among those stars  
Let me see what spring is like  
On Jupiter and Mars_

Blake watched Adam play for a minute until he was able to join in on his own guitar. Adam smiled when Blake was able to keep up.

_In other words, hold my hand_

“Me?” Blake asked dramatically.

“Nope!” Adam joked and Blake turned his head away in fake disappointment.

_In other words, baby kiss me_

Adam leaned forward into Blake’s space and teasingly puckered his lips. Blake rolled his eyes with a laugh in return and took the next verse.

_Fill my heart with song  
Let me sing for ever more  
You are all I long for  
All I worship and adore_

Adam put his hand over his heart for a moment before continuing to play. Adam joined him for the rest of the song. Blake doesn’t think Sinatra meant for it to be sung in such a silly way but Blake thought it was perfect. He thought Adam was perfect. 

_In other words, please be true  
In other words, I love you_

Blake was so caught up in the moment that he missed the photo that Kelly had taken of the two of them, playing guitar and smiling dopily at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all of the comments, kudos, and well-wishes. I'm feeling loads better. Be safe everyone!


	22. Chapter 22

The ride back to Blake’s house was tense. Not that Adam seemed to notice. He was staring out the window and humming quietly to himself while Blake was having an internal crisis. 

They left things in a bit of a weird place this morning and with Kelly barging in and the aftermath, they hadn’t really had time to let their morning confessions sink in.

They were heading back to Blake’s now. Just the two of them. He kept waiting for Adam to bring it up because he knew he was too chicken shit to do so himself. Even though they’d been drinking for most of the evening he had never felt more sober in his life.

Blake couldn’t get his conversation with Brad out of his head. He felt his hands start to sweat against the steering wheel. 

_“He likes you.” Brad said, coming up behind Blake causing him to jump slightly in surprise. He had been leaning against the doorway to Kelly’s living room and watching Adam talk to Jason and Trace on the other side of the room. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but Adam seemed really animated so he could only assume it was about music._

_“Of course he likes me. We’re friends.” Blake watched as Jason leaned in and said something to him causing Adam’s eyes to widen slightly in response. Lord knows what he was telling him. Blake cringed slightly at the many possibilities._

_“You’re a bit of a dumbass, Blake, but you’re not stupid.” Brad said with a bit of an edge to it._

_“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Blake turned to his friend in confusion_

_“I saw the way he was looking at you tonight, and when you were singin’ those songs. Like it was New Years Eve and you were the last bottle of Jack.”_

_“Don’t be ridiculous.” Blake watched as Adam said something that caused a loud laugh from Jason and even made Trace crack a smile. Adam looked so proud of himself that his entire face lit up with it._

_“Blake,” Brad moved in a bit closer so not to be overheard. “He’s been listening to us tell God awful stories about you all night, and if anything I think he might actually like you more for some reason.”_

_Blake shrugged but didn’t add anything. Adam didn’t look like he was having a terrible time tonight. And he had admitted to Blake that morning that he liked him, but with everything that happened after they didn’t really get to dig into what that actually meant. Still, admitting what Brad was telling him was true felt dangerous in a way that Blake refused to allow himself to think about._

_“Look, I’m not gonna pretend I understand what’s going on with you two. I just don’t wanna see you get hurt. You always hold things in and it bites you in the ass. If you really like him the way I think you do, then don’t make this somethin’ else you regret.”_

_God, did he like him. So much so that it felt like a punch to the gut sometimes just looking at him. He felt a warmth in his chest just watching him talk to his friends, not because he felt he had to, but because he wanted to._

_“What’s Luke think about all this?” Brad asked curiously._

_Blake cleared his throat, and looked almost anywhere except at Brad. Not that it mattered because he was sure that the guilt was written all over his face._

_“Oh, Toad. Really?” Brad looked at him with pity. “It’s been what? Almost two months now?”_

_“It hasn’t come up.” Blake tried to defend himself._

_“How could somethin’ like that possibly come up on its own? Hand me that record. Oh, by the way, I might be dating a famous musician.” Brad mocked._

_“We’re not dating.” Blake said quietly. “And I’ll tell him. Eventually.”_

_“You better tell him before he finds out in one of those magazines he’s always reading.’” Brad said in all seriousness. “He’s your best friend. He should know.”_

_“I’ll tell him.” Blake assured Brad._

_It wasn’t like he was purposely keeping it from Luke. Blake felt the lie before he could even finish the thought. He had been keeping it from him. He knew Luke would understand, but the whole situation was just so crazy and had gone a lot farther than he could’ve ever imagined it would. If after all this he never saw Adam again, he didn’t want Luke to look at him with pity._

_He could take it from Kelly and these guys because he rarely saw them. Having to deal with Luke’s knowing looks every day would be torture. It would be inevitable. There is no way this could end any other way than with a broken heart._

“I had a really great time hanging out with your friends tonight.” Adam turned away from the window to look at Blake, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Oh, I’m sure.” Blake gave a snort of disbelief.

“They really love you, Blake.” Adam said with certainty. 

“Love to make me look like a jackass, more like.” Blake loved his friends but they really tested him sometimes. 

“They just want you to be happy. If they didn’t they wouldn’t have told me so many awesome stories about you.”

Blake looked over at Adam with disbelief.

“Were you not in the same house as I was? Those stories were definitely not awesome. They were awful and embarrassing.” Blake could only imagine what they’d told Adam about him when he wasn’t in the room.

“They were amazing stories and I could’ve listened to them all night. I have so many questions.” Adam told him with excitement in his voice. Blake groaned at the rapid fire questions on the rest of the ride home.

“Did you really have a pet Turkey named Turkey?”

“Yes.”

“Did you really have a mullet?” 

“Yes.”

“Can I see it?”

“Definitely not.”

“Did you really cut it off because Kelly got a curling iron stuck in it?” Adam asked as they arrived back at Blake’s.

“What?” Blake gave him a startled look. “Did she tell you that?”

“No. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.” Adam laughed as he got out of the truck.

“You’re not as funny as you think you are.” Blake shouted back before Adam closed his door. He got out and in a few long strides caught up to Adam.

“I’m hilarious and you know it.” Adam knocked his shoulder into Blake and walked in step with him.

“Debatable.” Blake said, trying to keep his own smile from giving him away.

“Wait. I have another question.” Adam stopped walking. Blake let out a loud groan and turned to face him.

“Jesus. What now?” 

“Why Toad?” Adam asked with a mix of curiosity, amusement, and something else he couldn’t quite place.

“Oh, they didn’t tell you that one?” Blake asked sarcastically.

“C’mon! I’m dying to know. Why do they call you that?” 

“I dunno. I liked to catch toads when I was a kid.” Blake shrugged. 

“That’s it?” Adam laughed. “That’s so fucking laaaaame.” Adam laughed as he leaned in closer to Blake. It had been almost two hours since either of them had anything to drink, but the look in Adam’s eyes were bright with the kind of trouble that could only come from one thing.

“I told you not to drink the Sangria.” Blake said with an amused shake of his head.

“Shut up.” Adam laughed and grabbed Blake by the collar of his shirt and before Blake could even make a noise of surprise, Adam’s lips were pressed against his.

As far as kisses go, it was pretty terrible. The angle was all wrong, Adam came in a bit too fast and his teeth hit Blake’s bottom lip a little too roughly. Blake stood completely still in shock. It wasn’t until Adam pulled slightly back that Blake’s brain kicked into gear.

He stepped forward and adjusted the angle and suddenly it was fucking fanstatic. Adam groaned as he leaned in impossibly closer and moved his hand to cup the back of Blake’s head, his fingers threading through his hair in a soft grip. Not like he was planning on moving again for the rest of his life.

Adam pulled him back towards the porch, at least he thinks so. He was so distracted by Adam’s lips, and teeth, and tongue, that he forgot about the existence of stairs until they tumbled back onto them. 

“Fuck.” Adam whispered as he pulled away for a moment to catch his breath. Blake looked into Adam’s eyes which was probably a huge mistake because he was sure he’d never get that look out of his brain for the rest of his life. 

“Are you drunk?” Blake asked. He didn’t think he could stand it if this was all just a result of the drinking they did tonight. 

“Barely even buzzed.” Adam responded, as he ran his fingers down Blake’s jaw line. Blake leaned up and recaptured Adam’s lips as Adam adjusted so that he was straddling Blake on the stairs. 

“We should go inside.” Blake managed to choke out. Adam’s breath was heavy against his lips, making it almost impossible to think.

“Here’s fine. Comfortable.” Adam muttered as he started kissing down Blake’s jaw.

“Yeah.” Blake agreed when Adam landed on a particularly sensitive spot. “I mean, no.” He moved away slightly. “We shouldn’t do this out here.”

Adam pulled back and looked around into the darkness. “Who’s gonna see us? Your next door neighbor is a mile and a half away.”

“We may not have wolves, but we definitely have coyotes and trust me you don’t want to be on the end of that bite.” Blake tried to regulate his breathing, which was almost impossible at this point but he still had a tiny bit of sense about him. 

“Yeah, okay.” Adam agreed and stood up to allow Blake to unlock the door and let them in the house. Blake barely got the door closed before Adam was kissing him again. He was so close that he was practically climbing him.

Then just as suddenly he stopped.

“Wait wait wait.” Adam pulled his lips away. ”Before we go any further there’s something I need to know.”

“Anything.” Despite his earlier protest with answering questions, Blake would tell him anything he wanted to know as long as he never stopped touching him.

“When we went fishing and you got behind me. You definitely had a boner right?” Adam asked with a serious look on his face.

“For the love of… Yes. Alright.” Blake admitted, his face turned redder if that was even possible. “You were pressed up against me and kept wiggling your hips and even though you were covered in fish and dirt you still smelled amazing.”

“Thank fuck.” Adam attacked his lips again. “I thought I imagined it and I felt like such a piece of shit for coming on to you like I did in the kitchen.” 

“You definitely didn’t imagine it.“ Blake grabbed Adam’s hips and practically hauled him up his body. They both moaned at the friction through their jeans.

“And that first day we met.” Adam pulled away again. Blake let out a frustrated groan.

“Christ, Adam. Are we going to go over every single time I’ve gotten hard over you because we’ll be here a while.” Blake said desperately. 

“You definitely were staring at my dick in those jeans?” Adam asked.

“No.” Blake shook his head. Adam looked almost disappointed.

“I was staring at your **ass** in those jeans.” And to make a point Blake moved his hands from Adam’s lower back and down to grip said ass. 

“Fucking smooth.” Adam laughed and leaned back in to kiss Blake’s neck. Adam sucked a light mark and slowly unbuttoned the top 3 buttons of Blake’s flannel shirt.

“Shit!” Blake exclaimed breathily.

“You ok?” Adam asked, voice muffled against his neck.

“I’m standing in my living room being undressed by a rockstar.” Blake said incredulously.

“Hmmm.” Adam pulled back and looked into Blake’s eyes. “Would you prefer I undress you in your bedroom?”

“The location is what you got out of that?” Blake’s breath hitched as Adam undid his belt. “Besides, I don’t think I can move at all to be honest.”

Adam rumbled a laugh against Blake’s neck and he felt his knees almost give out.

“Though maybe the bedroom is a better idea after all.” Adam let out a loud laugh at how high Blake’s voice sounded and pulled him toward the direction of Blake’s bedroom.

“Come on then.” Adam smiled. 

Blake tried to talk between kisses but found it very difficult because it was just so fucking good. Adam was the perfect mix of soft and solid and he smelled amazing. If all the bullshit he had to deal with in his life meant that he got to have this, he’d do it all again. 

Blake let out a groan of disappointment when Adam pulled away. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it behind him next to the bed and then turned to Blake with an expectant look in his eyes. 

“Ok, your turn.” Adam brought his hands back to the buttons on Blake’s shirt and Blake instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrists to stop him. 

“Wait, wait!” Adam’s hand stilled at Blake’s objection.

“What’s the matter?” Adam asked with a look of concern.

“Nothing.” Blake wouldn’t look at him. He was too embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked again. “Do you want to stop?”

“No!” Blake responded quickly. “Everything’s perfect. You’re… well…” Blake felt like an idiot for stopping him. “I know I said... Fuck.” Blake ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m just nervous. This is real new to me and I’m…”

“Blake,” Adam moved his hands up to gently cup either side of Blake’s face. “This is only going to go as far as you want it. We don’t have to do anything.” He waited for Blake’s nod before continuing. “If you want to just make out for a bit that’s totally cool with me.”

“I want to. It’s just…” Blake slowly ran his eyes over Adam’s stomach, arms, chest, until he met his eyes. 

“You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life and I’m …”

“Do not even finish that.” Adam interrupted with a frown. He stepped in closer and rocked his hips into Blake. “I can’t remember the last time I was this hard for someone. You’re fucking gorgeous.”

Blake let out an incredulous laugh. “Ok.”

“I’m not kidding.” Adam grabbed Blake’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I love how big your hands are and watching you work with them.” He bit the tip of Blake’s index finger then took it into his mouth. Blake was transfixed. 

“When you’re cutting wood, or playing guitar.” Adam moved Blake’s hand so that it lay flat on his chest so that he could feel how fast his heart was racing. “I feel like you could break me in the best ways with these hands.” 

Blake looked down at his hand on Adam’s chest, standing out starkly against the dark tattoos, rising and falling with Adam’s quick breaths. 

“You have the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen up close. Sometimes you’ll be talking to me and I can’t stop myself from trying to figure out what shade of blue they are.” Adam admitted.

“Is that right?” Blake raised an eyebrow.

“Mmmhmm.” Adam nodded. “So next time you get annoyed with me for making you repeat yourself, remember it’s your fault not mine.”

Blake didn’t say anything, he just smiled. 

“You have the sexiest fucking dimples. I just want to kiss and lick them all the fucking time. It’s so dumb.” Adam leaned in and kissed one and then moved to the other side to kiss the other. 

“You’re so tall and kind of awkward and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t turn me on.”

“Yeah?” Blake licked his lips and he could practically see Adam’s pupils dilate. It was impossible to ignore the look of utter want on his face, and knew Blake’s face was reflecting the same thing back.

“When we came back to your apartment that first day, all I could think about was just absolutely fucking wrecking you right there in your kitchen.”

Blake let out a desperate groan and slammed his mouth down onto Adam’s. He had heard enough. He pulled off his shirt and pushed Adam down on the bed.

“Did I mention I really like being bossed around?” Adam bit his lip at Blake’s newly bared skin.

“No you don’t.” Blake moved next to him and leaned in to nip at Adam’s collar bone. 

“How do you know that?” Adam breathed shakily. 

“Cause if you liked being bossed around you’d be fuckin’ Carson.” Blake pulled back to see the look of horror on Adam’s face.

“First off, never mention his name in bed again. Instant boner killer.” Blake laughed at him. “You’re probably right though. Maybe I just like being bossed around by you.”

“Get your pants off.” Blake said in response. Adam looked down at the bulge in his jeans and then wiggled his eyebrows at Blake. 

“And it’s back.” Adam unzipped and pushed his jeans down and off his legs, leaving him in a pair of dark blue Armani boxer briefs. 

He went to go for Blake’s and stopped with his hands on the button. He looked up into Blake’s stupid blue eyes to make sure this was ok. When he received the ok in the form of a nod Adam unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and with Blake’s help pushed them off to the end of the bed.

Blake stared down at Adam in wonder not believing that this is actually happening. He suddenly felt a bit lost and unsure what to do. Adam sensing this leaned in to kiss his lips softly and whispered against them “You can touch me.”

“I don’t know how.” Blake whispered back with a slight shake in his voice.

Adam took Blake’s hand in his and placed it against his chest. “Yes you do.” Blake nodded and ran his fingers from Adam’s sternum down his chest, to his abdomen. He moved his fingers to trace the various shapes of the tattoos against his skin. Adam shivered as Blake’s calluses dragged across his skin.

“That feels nice.” Adam let out a groan as he ran his fingers through Blake’s hair.

Blake did it again, only he let his nails slightly drag over Adam’s nipple on the way down. Adam’s hips jumped forward and ground into Blake’s thigh. They both moaned at the friction. 

Adam pulled Blake’s head down to his for a kiss, much deeper than the last. Blake moved in between Adam’s legs and groaned as Adam’s thighs bracketed his hips and his hands gently pulled at Blake’s hair..

“Can I blow you?” Adam asked against Blake’s lips.

“Fuck.” Blake pushed his hips into Adam causing the smaller man to whimper at the hardness pressed against his own.

“Or we can do that too. Whatever. I’m cool with anything.” Adam let out a breathless groan.

“Yeah. To the first one.” He nodded like a complete idiot, but when someone offers to blow you, you don’t turn that shit down.

“We’re going to need to switch places.” Adam smiled up at him. Blake looked down realizing quickly that he all but had Adam pinned beneath him. His hand slid under Adam’s ass and with a tug flipped them over so that Adam was on top of him, legs straddling Blake’s hips.

“Holy shit!” Adam said in amazement as he looked down at Blake. 

“Sorry.” He apologized, his face feeling very warm. He needed to take it down at least ten notches.

“Do NOT apologize. That was the fucking hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” Adam leaned in to kiss him deeply for a moment before pulling back.

Adam started to kiss his way down Blake’s body, lingering on spots he noted were more sensitive than others. He’d suck a red mark into those spots as though he were mapping them for later. Blake wasn’t sure what a heart attack felt like, but he imagined it was something like this. He could feel his heart beating into his fingertips as he gripped the sheets. 

When he got to the band of Blake’s boxers he looked into Blake’s eyes with a hunger that Blake is almost certain had never been directed at him before. He felt his cock twitch and watched as the corner of Adam’s mouth quirked up. He’d clearly noticed.

“I’ve been dying to do this for almost two months.” Adam admitted.

“What? Really?” Blake looked at him incredulously.

“Yeah.” Adam smiled. “When you came to my hotel and started talking to me about having manners and shit.” Adam leaned down to nip and lick at Blake’s hip, sucking in a new red mark when he heard Blake groan. “I wanted to drop to my knees right there with a room full of people outside.” 

“Shit.” Blake whispered as he felt Adam mouth his cock through his boxers. “You would’ve killed me.”

Adam pulled his boxers down and took Blake’s cock into his hand. Blake let out a strangled groan at this feeling of Adam’s hand finally on him. 

“I still might.” Adam said before taking him in his mouth. The sound Blake made was almost mortifying. Thankfully Adam didn’t seem to notice, he just gently dug his nails into Blake’s thigh with a groan. 

“Jesus!” Blake shouted as he tried not to push himself down Adam’s throat. Luckily Adam seemed to have anticipated that response and held Blake’s hip down firmly with his right hand.

Blake looked down at Adam as he took him slowly in and out of his mouth. _This is not happening. This is not happening. This is not happening._

Adam pulled his mouth off and licked a strip from base to tip. He placed a quick kiss on the head of Blake’s cock and smiled up at him. “It’s happening. Just enjoy it.”

Blake’s eyes widened. Not realizing he said that out loud. “Your mouth feels amazing.” Blake moved his hands to run his fingers across Adam’s cheek. 

Adam let out a short laugh and Blake cursed at the vibrations. “I’m not gonna last.” He warned. 

“I’d be insulted if you did.” Adam pulled back and started pumping him with his hand. He leaned in and took him as far down as he could in one go.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Blake repeated over and over as he shot down Adam’s throat. 

Adam pulled back with a pleased smile and kissed his thigh one more time before crawling back up the bed, making sure to kiss each of the spots he marked on Blake’s skin on the way up.

“You good?” Adam asked.

“Understatement of century.” Blake responded, heart rate still going a mile a minute. He leaned in and kissed Adam. He licked into his mouth not caring for a second that he could taste himself on Adam’s lips.

“What do you want me to do to you?” Blake asked quietly.

“Fuck.” Adam closed his eyes. “Don’t say shit like that unless you want to make me come without touching me.”

“Sorry.” Blake’s grin was anything but.

“You told me a story once about your magic hands.” Adam wiggled his eyebrows. Blake laughed and kissed Adam again as he lightly snapped the elastic on Adam’s boxer briefs. 

“Get these off.” Blake whispered into Adam’s ear before biting softly on his ear lobe. Adam let out a soft curse and yanked his briefs off and flung them off the side of the bed.

Blake pulled back to look at Adam laid out bare on his bed. He was absolutely perfect. Blake put his hand shakily on Adam’s knee and slowly moved his hand up his thigh.

“If you don’t get your hands on me in the next 30 seconds I’m…” He never finished as Blake took his cock firmly in his hand and gave him a quick stroke.

“Fuck! Finally!” Adam shouted and pushed up into Blake’s fist. Blake concentrated on slowly taking Adam apart with his hands, pulling back when it looked like Adam was getting close. He leaned in and licked away a bead of sweat that rolled down Adam’s neck.

“Blake!’ Adam whined. “Please!” 

Seeing that Adam had been just on the edge of coming for the last few minutes Blake took pity on him and sped up and he leaned in and bit down gently on Adam’s throat. Adam shouted and came hard over his stomach and Blake’s fist.

“You good?” Blake repeated Adam’s earlier question as he looked down at him, his eyes bright with a feeling he was too terrified to articulate.

Adam gave Blake a large, sleepy smile and leaned up to kiss him. 

Blake looked at his hand and then back down at Adam. Adam sensed his dilemma and learned over the bed to grab his discarded shirt and wiped off Blake’s hand and threw it near the door.

“Adam…” Blake started. He felt like he should say something but wasn’t quite sure what.

“Tomorrow.” Adam closed his eyes and threw a leg over Blake’s. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Blake watched as Adam’s breath slowed and evened out as he fell asleep pressed against Blake.

“Tomorrow.” Blake whispered as he closed his own eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess we're out of slow burn territory now.


	23. Chapter 23

Blake blearily opened his eyes some time around six in the morning. It was another hour at least until the sun would be up. He could feel rather than see Adam sleeping next to him. Blake slowly turned to lay on his side so that he was facing Adam. He could just barely make out his outline in the dark. He was sleeping on his stomach facing Blake, lying close enough that he could practically feel the soft puffs of air Adam let out in his sleep.

Blake reached out his hand to rest it gently against the bare skin of Adam’s back. He felt a jolt in his stomach like he shouldn’t be touching him at all. That even after everything this was still forbidden to him. He just needed to feel him. To know that this wasn’t just another fantasy he had dreamt up. He slowly moved his hand from Adam’s shoulder blade down to his lower back. He had seen Adam without a shirt enough times now that he could see each individual section of his tattoos in his mind as he passed them.

Adam felt warm to the touch, but his skin seemed to always run hot. It’s probably why he hated wearing clothes so much. Blake could tell two things as his thumb moved down another inch. Firstly, that Adam didn’t get up to put his boxers on like Blake had at some point in the night. Secondly, that he kicked the sheet off and was completely bare next to him.

Blake let out a shaky breath and hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should remove his hand, or leave it there and go back to sleep. He slowly moved his thumb back and forth over Adam's tailbone, his other fingers just resting on the top curve of his ass while trying to decide. He was so caught up in these thoughts that he failed to recognize that Adam’s own breathing had changed.

“I give you full permission to do whatever you want to my ass." Adam mumbled sleepily. Blake let out a startled sound and pulled his hand away,

“Sorry.” Blake whispered with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Mmm.” Adam leaned in closer to hook an arm and leg around Blake and lay his head down on his shoulder. Blake awkwardly rested his hand on Adam’s upper back over what he knew to be the wing of a mermaid. Adam let out a heavy puff of air which Blake assumed was a laugh.

“Grab my ass like a man.” Adam whispered into Blake’s skin. Blake let out his own quiet laugh and dragged his hand down Adam’s back until he landed at his destination.

“Nice.” Adam yawned and within minutes his breathing had evened out in sleep. Blake leaned down and could smell his own cheap shampoo in Adam’s hair. He didn’t know why that stirred something in his chest but it did. He let that thought settle as he followed Adam back to sleep.

It was a few hours later before he was awakened again. Not by the light seeping into his bedroom from around his cheap curtains. What had dragged him out of one of the best nights' sleep he’d had in years was a large hand pressing against his hard cock through his boxers, and the feeling of Adam’s own erection pressed hard into his thigh.

He looked down at Adam’s eyes which were closed, but his heavy breathing gave him away. “I know you’re not sleepin’.” Blake said hoarsely.

Adam gave a barely noticeable rock of his hips before opening his eyes and looking into Blake’s. The sleepiness from earlier long gone from Adam’s eyes.

“You’re not the only one who likes to touch.” Adam licked his lips and gently squeezed. Blake leaned down and captured Adam’s lips in a deep kiss.

Adam moved to straddle Blake as he deepened the kiss with a pleasant hum. Blake reached down and roughly grabbed Adam’s ass in his hands and pulled him closer with a groan. There was something gloriously filthy about Adam on top of him, his hard cock pressed against his own clothed one. Adam must’ve felt the same as he looked down at Blake beneath him.

Blake's eyes traveled from Adam’s mouth down to his neck before stopping on his chest practically covered in tattoos. He felt a primal urge to leave his own mark on Adam’s skin. It wouldn’t last forever, but long enough for Adam to look at it and think about him whenever he saw it. He debated carefully before pulling him down and sucking a deep red mark into the skin over his collar bone.

“Blake.” Adam whined. Blake looked at his handiwork and felt himself get even harder if that were possible. “Off.” Adam pulled at Blake’s boxers. Blake nodded in agreement and lifted his hips so that Adam could pull them off.

“Fuuuuck.” Blake cried out when Adam took them both in one hand. Adam leaned in and kissed Blake’s lips roughly. Between last night and this morning, Blake was sure his lips were ridiculously swollen by now but there wasn’t anything in the world that could make him want to stop right now.

“Condom?” Adam asked as he kissed down Blake’s jaw. It took Blake a few seconds for that to process but when it did he found himself freezing up. Adam pulled back as soon as he felt the change.

“Unless you don’t want to.” Adam said cautiously.

Blake knew there was no going back last night, but this would be taking things to an entirely different level. He knew he wanted Adam and he wanted to take that step with him. Blake took a few deep breaths before he nodded.

“Yes. I want to.” Blake said finally. Adam smiled and leaned down to kiss Blake softly. Though there was one slight problem.

“I don’t have any condoms.” Blake admitted. Adam pulled back with a small frown. “I could…” Blake started but Adam interrupted suddenly and loudly.

“Oh!” Adam jumped up out of the bed and picked up his jeans and pulled a condom out of the pocket. He got back into bed and held it out. “Got one!”

Blake looked at him in surprise. His eyebrows practically in his hairline.

“Jason gave it to me.” Adam explained with a smile.

“He did what now? When?” Blake asked with both confusion and horror at the implication of what they must’ve been talking about.

“Well, we…” Adam started but Blake quickly interrupted.

“Actually, I don’t wanna know.” Blake grabbed the condom out of Adam’s hand and flung it across the room. “We are NOT using that.” He decided firmly.

“You’re such a baby.” Adam rolled his eyes, but Blake could see the amusement there as well.

“We can go to the store later.” Blake decided. There was no way in hell he was going to use anything that Jason gave them. He shuddered knowing he’d even touched it.

“I have a box in my bag in the guest room.” Adam said with a shrug.

“When the hell did you buy those?” Blake looked at him with confusion. “I've been with you the entire damn time.”

“A little over a week ago.” Adam answered. Blake thought about that for a long moment.

“You brought them WITH you to Oklahoma? Who’d you think you’d be fuckin’ out here?” Blake looked even more confused and slightly uncomfortable at the thought of Adam ditching him for a hook up.

Adam didn’t respond. He just stared at him with a pointed look and raised eyebrows. Blake looked back at him with a furrowed brow until it clicked.

_Oh!_

“Oh!” Blake felt like all the air had left his lungs.

“Yeah. Oh!” Adam repeated as he leaned in and started kissing Blake’s neck again. “Jesse threw it in my bag on my way out the door.” He continued.

“Jesse?” Blake asked in surprise.

“Yeah. He said I wouldn’t shut up about you so I better do something about it before he strangled me with my microphone cord.” Adam shook his head in amusement at the memory of that particular conversation.

Blake felt like he was having an out of body experience. He was usually so good at reading people and couldn’t for the life of him understand how he’d missed this.

“Do you want me to get them?” Adam asked unsurely.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, the moments kind of gone.” Blake couldn’t believe the words as they left his mouth, but all this talk of their friends and Blake’s blind stupidity was a real mood killer.

“Yeah, alright.” Adam sighed into Blake’s shoulder and then moved off of him. They lay quietly next to each other for several moments before Blake turned to Adam.

“Hungry?” Blake asked.

“Always.” Adam crawled out of bed and walked to the door. Blake groaned in frustration.

“Are you not planning on putting any clothes on at all?” Blake asked, feeling his heart rate pick up again.

“No, not really.” Adam gave him a dirty smile and walked out the door with a wink. Blake took a few deep breaths before he threw some clothes on and followed Adam into the kitchen.

 _This was fine. This was all fine._ Blake thought to himself as he walked into the kitchen. He spotted Adam reaching up to grab a bag of chips from the high shelf and Blake had to stop himself from having a verbal reaction to the sight.

He stretched his arm up and went up on his toes trying to reach for the bag. Every muscle in his body was on full display with the stretch. Blake cursed not so quietly to himself and Adam turned when he noticed Blake in the room.

“Do you have to put everything up so damn high, Sasquatch?” He teased.

Blake didn’t respond. He walked over to Adam and pulled him into an absolutely desperate kiss. Adam let out a noise of surprise but quickly got on the same page and started to kiss him back just as deeply.

Adam lifted his leg to wrap it around Blake’s to pull him in closer. Adam let out a whine into Blake's mouth when he felt how aroused Blake was against him.

“I thought you were hungry?” Adam asked against Blake’s lips. Blake pulled back and licked his lips, his eyes dark with desire.

“Starving.” Blake responded before dropping to his knees.

Blake would like to say that he was a grown ass man fully in control of himself. He would discover over the next 48 hours this wasn’t the case at all. As much as he knew about Adam before they started having sex, he learned some new things as well.

While Adam seemed to love spending his money on clothes, he loved being naked even more. This shouldn't have been a shock after he seeing Adam walking around without a shirt various times during the week but it still surprised him.After they had slept together the first time Adam seemed reluctant to put clothes back on at all. Which was fine for the most part. Hell, if he had a body like that he’d never cover it either.

The problem being that when Adam was naked he found it hard to think of anything except the overwhelming need to touch him. It was hard trying to adjust to the fact that he could do that now. That Adam encouraged it even. Now that he was thinking about it, maybe that was Adam’s plan the whole time.

Luckily he wasn’t the only one having this problem. Blake had put dinner in the oven and was sitting on the couch watching tv when Adam walked in wearing nothing but an intense look on his face.

“Hey.” Blake started but couldn’t get more than that out before Adam was straddling him and pulling at his shirt. They both let out a noise of annoyance when one of the buttons on his flannel got stuck.

“You see why I don’t bother with clothes?” Adam sat back on Blake's thighs in frustration. Blake rolled his eyes and pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it behind the couch.

Adam smiled and moved his hips closer into Blake's.

“Dinner.” Blake panted against Adam’s chest.

“Think we can beat the buzzer?” Adam bit his lip and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Definitely.” Blake responded and pulled him back down.

They didn’t. They were so lost in each other that it wasn’t until the smell of burning meat filled the room that they both cursed and ran into the kitchen to pull their overdone meal out of the oven.

Blake tried to be annoyed, but as he watched Adam silently make them both a bowl of cereal with an apologetic look on his face, he felt that pleasant tightness in his chest again. When he complimented Adam on adding the perfect amount of milk, Adam’s answering smile was enough to make Blake decide that it was definitely worth the loss of his roast.

When they lay in bed later that night Blake tried to sleep but he had too many thoughts going though his head. It had been two days since Kelly’s party and they still hadn’t really talked about all of this. There were so many things he wanted to ask him. He was right there and he couldn’t get the words out.

_What does this mean to you? What happens when we leave here? When you go back to California?_

Blake took a bracing breath and opened his mouth to speak.

“I have a confession to make.” Adam said into the dark room suddenly, cutting Blake off before he could even get the words out. He sounded a bit nervous. Blake felt his stomach drop.

“What’s that?” Blake asked hesitantly. He was terrified that Adam was going to say this was a mistake. That they’d had fun but he’d finally come to his senses and realized this was a bad idea.

“The day you came to the hotel the first time and accidentally sat through the interview with the rest of the band.” Adam continued cautiously.

“What about it?” Blake was confused now. What did that have to do with anything? Lord knows what the band told him about how much of a loser he was. Maybe that’s what Adam was going to tell him. He looked guilty. Probably realized what an idiot Blake is and that none of this ever should have happened.

“Don’t be mad at me but…” Adam winced. “I knew what was going on and let you do it anyway.”

“What?” Blake looked at Adam with a furrowed brow.

“After you left,” he started to explain. “Carson told me where he sent you and instead of telling him the reason you came to the hotel, I just laughed and told him to send you back in when you were done with them.”

“Why?” Blake asked. Adam sat up and leaned against the headboard. He ran his hands through his hair and continued.

“Because I’m a dick and after you got that shit all over my shirt you looked like I was about to kick your dog or something and then you offered to pay for it and it was the cutest shit I’d ever seen. You were so real and I just wanted to know you. Then you actually called me back and showed up at the hotel with my shirt and your ridiculously sincere face. I couldn’t think of a good excuse for you to stick around so when Carson told me where he sent you it gave me enough time to convince him to let me take the rest of the afternoon off. Which he didn’t agree to by the way, so I snuck out anyway because I really wanted to spend some time with you. I’m sorry.”

His words came out in such a rush that Blake had to quietly lay there and digest it all. He hadn’t expected any of that. He hated how he felt a flush move throughout his whole body at Adam’s words. That he really went through all of that just to spend time with him.

“Dude, are you really blushing at that? I’ve had your dick in my mouth and calling you cute turns you into a Victorian maiden?” Adam looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world but he liked him very much anyway. Blake was ok with that.

“You’re such an idiot.” Blake looked at him, eyes shining with affection.

“A forgiven idiot?” Adam asked hopefully. Blake leaned in and kissed him softly before pulling back.

"I dunno." Blake responded with fake consideration. “Maybe I want you to make it up to me.” He said as he put his hand on Adam’s thigh.

“I’d love to.” Adam responded and proceeded to do just that.


	24. Chapter 24

Blake threw the wrench back in his tool box and gave the ATV a once over. Satisfied that both started without an issue he pulled them out of the garage and made his way back into the house. He looked at the clock and it was a little past 8 in the morning. He woke up earlier than usual to shower and get the ATVs ready for the day. He would’ve been at it even earlier if Adam’s wasn’t such an intense clinger in his sleep. It had taken him almost a half an hour to detach himself from Adam’s grasp. 

“Adam...” Blake leaned over and shook him gently. 

“Mmmmm?” Adam groaned and yanked on Blake’s arm to bring him down almost on top of him.

“Easy. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Blake warned. “Time to get up.”

“Not yet.” Adam pushed his head deeper into the pillow.. 

“The longer you stay in bed the less time we have on the ATVs.” Blake shook him again.

Adam cracked open his eyes and glared at him. “Fine. You win.” 

Blake smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He was less than an inch away before he moved his head to press his lips against Adam’s cheek.

“Brush your teeth first.” Blake whispered. He pulled back with a quick laugh when Adam pushed him away. 

Blake left Adam to it and put on a pot of coffee for him when he heard the shower turn on. He leaned over to look down the hall and saw that Adam left the bathroom door open slightly. Blake shook his head and decided that he needed to ignore it. They hadn’t gone out in two days and it was because of invitations like that. While Blake’s self control around Adam was practically nonexistent at this point, he promised to take Adam riding and he was going to stick to that plan.

Not long after coffee had finished brewing Adam walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and grabbed the mug of coffee Blake held out to him.

“Fuck yes, thank you!” Adam eagerly grabbed the mug. He lifted it to his lips and stopped. “Wait.”

Blake looked at him with confusion and Adam leaned in for a deep, but quick kiss. He pulled back with a smile which quickly turned to a look of disgust after he took a sip of the coffee. 

“Toothpaste and coffee…” He shook his head but took another sip and made his way into the bedroom.

“Wear something you don’t mind gettin’ dirty.” Blake shouted after him. He heard the music from Adam’s phone start to play from the room as Adam attempted to wake himself up and get ready.

Blake finished his coffee, making a similar grimace at the taste of toothpaste that had transferred to his own mouth, and made his way back outside. It rained the night before and everything was wet and muddy. They were going to get completely covered, but that usually was the best time to go riding. 

Blake looked down at the time on his phone for the fourth time. “Are you comin’ or not?” He shouted at the house. 

A few moments later Adam walked out of the house ready to go with Blake’s jacket wrapped around him, still at least 3 sizes too big for him.

“Abso-fuckin-lutely not!” Blake grabbed the sleeve of the jacket. “You are not ruining that jacket with mud.“

“Well, I can’t wear the jacket you got me because it got soaked in the rain last night.” Adam pointed out.

Along with the rain the day before there was a large gust of wind that had dislodged the cover on the wood Blake had chopped the previous week. He and Adam ran out to fix it and both had gotten soaked through in the process. He didn’t want to shrink the denim by throwing it in the dryer so he hung it up in the laundry room instead. Adam was correct, it was probably still too wet to wear.

“I got something you can wear.” Blake nodded his head toward the garage and Adam followed. He opened a box and tossed a pair of grey coveralls to Adam. 

Adam looked at it with distaste but put it on anyway. If Adam wearing Blake’s jacket was like swimming in a lake, the coveralls would be an ocean. Blake took one look at him and lost it. He pulled out his phone and took a photo of Adam before he could give him the finger.

“You’re not THAT much taller than me. This is ridiculous.” Adam said as he pulled the pant legs up. 

“Those are actually Trace’s. He’s a bit taller than me.” Blake looked at the coveralls hanging off of him and decided that, yeah, the last thing he’d need was for loose clothes to get caught in something. Blake ran his hands through his hair and looked down at the time again. He really didn’t want to risk getting him sick so there was only one thing to do.

“Shit. We’re gonna need to get you something to wear then.” Blake looked at his watch. Trace usually opens up at 7 on the weekends so they should be able to run in and out quickly.

Adam pulled the coveralls off and tossed them back into the box and then they jumped into Blake’s truck and drove out to Trace’s store. Unfortunately when they got there they were greeted with a locked door and a sign taped on the inside of it.

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Blake rolled his eyes at the sign. Of all the weekends…

“Closed. Gone Fishin’. Go away.” Adam read out loud and then turned to Blake with an incredulous look. “Seriously? Where the fuck do you live, man?”

It was almost 10am. There was a Walmart about 25 minutes away and that would need to do. The sun would set around 5:30 and while he didn’t mind riding after dark, he wouldn’t risk Adam hurting himself. 

“C’mon” Blake said with an annoyed sigh and got back in his truck. He pulled up the number for the nearest Supercenter and confirmed they had coveralls in Adam’s size.

“You need sunglasses or somethin’?” Blake asked as they pulled into a parking spot. Adam looked around and it didn’t seem very packed. One of the upsides of being in a small town he guessed. They drove straight from Trace’s and they didn’t think to stop back at Blake’s to wear something to blend in a bit more.

Adam was wearing his regular clothes and Blake’s jacket which would make him stand out more than normal. Blake pulled off his flannel and tossed it to Adam.

“Gimme the jacket.” Blake reached out, but Adam leaned away. “You can have it back when we leave.” Blake rolled his eyes.

“Alright.” Adam said with resignation and handed the jacket to Blake. He put on Blake’s flannel and rolled up the sleeves several times and buttoned it up. 

“Probably should tuck it in if you can fit it in those damn jeans.” Blake suggested. Adam looked at him with a smile and wiggled his eyebrows. “I didn’t mean like that.” 

Blake turned away as Adam reached for his jeans. He tried to tune out the sounds of Adam unbuttoning and unzipping. That sound tended to cause a bodily reaction that Blake did not want to deal with going into a store full of people. 

“How’s this?” Adam stepped out of the truck and held his arms out. You could still see the tattoos on his forearms, but that would hopefully not be too noticeable unless you were outright staring. 

Blake grabbed a camo baseball cap from the seat and tossed it to him. “Throw that on.” Adam put the hat on and pulled it down lower than he’d normally wear. “It’ll do.” Blake responded and got out of the truck. 

He put on his jacket for the first time in almost two weeks and tried not to groan as he was surrounded by Adam’s scent. He shook himself out of it and followed a thankfully oblivious Adam in through the automatic doors.

Adam looked around with wide eyes. “Would you believe me if I told you I’d never actually been in one of these before?”

Blake laughed and nodded. “I absolutely would believe it.” They stopped in the shoe section first and grabbed a cheap pair of boots in Adam’s size.

“Nothin’ worse than cold, wet feet when it’s chilly out.” Adam tried them on quickly and threw them in the cart and followed Blake to the sporting goods section. He picked up a few spare pairs of gloves and two pairs of goggles. The ones he had at home were fine but it never hurt to grab a spare.

When they arrived at the coveralls he pulled one out in Adam’s size and handed it to him. “You should try this on.”

Adam tossed the hat to Blake who then put it on as Adam reluctantly went to the dressing room. When he came out a few minutes later Adam had a look on his face expressing his utter loathing. 

“What’s wrong now? This fits perfectly.” Adam rolled his eyes and looked down.

“I feel like I’m six years old and wearing a onesie.” Adam complained. “And it’s beige. I can just throw on a flannel or some shit and I’ll be fine.”

“Nah. The second that mud hits you it’s gonna soak right through.” Blake said as he went through the racks. He grabbed a pair of insulated black work pants and a green camo insulated button down. 

“You can try these on but the coveralls will protect you better.” Blake warned. When Adam came out of the dressing room a second time he had a much more satisfied look on his face.

“I’m going with this.” He decided. Not wanting to argue because Lord knows how much time they’d waste doing that, Blake nodded and told Adam to get changed so they could get the hell out of there.

Adam reappeared shortly after and tossed the clothes into the cart. “What are you lookin’ at?” He asked Blake who was looking down at his phone with a shy smile on his face.

“Kelly texted me some pictures from the other night.” Blake explained. Adam leaned over to look as Blake scrolled through them.

“There were a few random ones with the whole group, two of Blake and Kelly, and some of Blake with Adam that he hadn’t realized she had taken at all.

One in particular stood out more than the rest. They were playing guitar around the fire pit and looking at each other like… Blake refused to name it but he felt a tug in his chest just looking at it. 

“Text those to me.” Adam broke the silence and started pushing the cart. Blake snapped out of it and put them in a text but for one reason or another it kept telling him the message failed to send. 

They stood in the middle of the board games section trying to connect to the stores wifi but the photos still refused to send.

“Dude, just airdrop them.” Adam said in annoyance. Stupid small towns with their crap service.

“How the hell do I do that?” Blake asked. He hated to admit it, but when he upgraded his data plan they also talked him into getting an iPhone and he hadn’t played around with it enough to know how to do more than take a picture or send a text. He could still remember the look on Luke’s face when he saw that Blake had upgraded for the first time in years.

“Here, gimme.” Adam took the phone from Blake and turned on the airdrop. Within a minute Adam’s phone went off to signal the pictures were received.

“Was that so hard?” Adam teased and held up his own phone.

“Extremely.” Blake responded in fake annoyance. 

“For real though, we need to get you a laptop and shit so you can be one with the 21st century.” Adam grabbed a bag of chips and threw them in the cart as they made their way to the registers. “Besides it’ll be easier for us to video chat when I get back to LA.” He said too casually for it to have actually been casual.

Blake tore his eyes away from the pictures on his phone. It was the one thing they had avoided talking about the last few weeks. What would happen when Adam went home. Unfortunately, standing between outdoor water heaters and crock pots didn’t seem to be an appropriate place for that conversation. 

“You’ll miss my face that much?” Blake tried to break the tension and kept walking. Adam leaned over and snatched the hat and put it on with a wide smile. He opened his mouth to say something in response but was cut off when someone had walked right into Blake.

“What the…” Blake started to turn around.

“Sorry.” The teenager responded with a yelp as he picked up the video game he’d dropped and headed back into the aisle he’d come from.

“Watch where you’re goin’ next time.” He shouted after him. He looked over at Adam who had a stupid grin on his face that Blake refused to find cute.

“Not much of a kid person, are you?” Adam asked.

“There is a hundred damn feet of room on either side of me!” Blake said in exasperation. 

“Maybe they were just amazed to see a real life Sasquatch in person?” Adam laughed. Blake gave him the finger and pulled the hat down over Adam’s eyes.

“Jackass.” He pushed Adam to continue walking. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever get sick of finding excuses to have Blake dress up Adam like an idiot even if it serves no purpose other than to extend this story? Not really.
> 
> Also I sense the L word... 
> 
> L of course meaning Leaving. 'Cause they had to bring it up eventually.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Dealing with some medical stuff and finally was able to get this down. On the upside, this chapter is pretty much the length of the last two combined so there's that.
> 
> As always this is not beta'd because I can't be bothered.

“You remember what I told you, right?” Blake looked over at Adam sitting on the bike next to him. Adam rolled his eyes and pointed at a red button.

“Kill switch.” He pointed at the right handle next. “Throttle. I’ve ridden an ATV before, you know.”

“Yeah, but you’ve never ridden one of mine.” Blake shot back at him.

“Does riding the owner count?” Adam raised his eyebrows suggestively and put on his helmet. 

“You’ve never done that either, so stop bein’ a jackass and pay attention.” Blake was practically immune to Adam’s comments by now but occasionally he’d say something that would put an image in Blake’s head that would cause him to blush. This time was no exception.

Thankfully he was wearing his helmet and Adam couldn’t see the flush on his face. He went through everything one more time. It was muddier out than usual on account of the rain the night before, but they were running out of time and a little mud never hurt nobody. He just wanted to make sure Adam had the instructions in his head clearly enough that he’d be safe. 

Blake turned on his bike and gestured for Adam to do the same. Adam turned his on and bounced in his seat as he waited for Blake’s instruction. 

“Follow this path down, make a right into the woods.” He pointed in front of him and waited for Adam to nod. “You’ll come to a fork and you’ll want to stay right. Got it?”

“Right, right.” Adam nodded. “Can we go now?” Adam asked impatiently. 

“Countdown from ten.” Blake told him and Adam rolled his eyes but did as he was told. When he got to four Blake hit the gas and took off. 

He could barely make out Adam shouting “You fuck!” as he took off after him. 

Blake laughed as he saw Adam come up behind him. He would humor him for now to think that he’d catch up because they were still on an open road. Once they hit the woods, Blake could make his way through that blindfolded. They made their way down the path, the mud kicking up against the bottoms of their pants. He looked to his left and Adam was neck and neck with him now. 

“I’m gonna kick your ass!” He heard Adam yell over the sound of the engines. Blake pulled one hand off to give Adam the finger quickly before turning a sharp right towards the woods. Adam did a double take, as he hadn’t realized they were so close to the end of the path.

“That’s not fair!” Adam shouted after him and made his own turn to follow Blake into the woods. 

Blake checked his mirror to make sure he stayed close and slowed down just a bit as the mud was a bit thicker now. He turned into a small puddle as water shot up around him. He heard Adam laugh when he followed behind into the same puddle. 

They made this circle a few times before Blake stopped him. 

“Got a bit of mud in my boots. You ok to keep goin’?” Blake asked, killing his engine.

“I can wait if you want.” Adam pulled off his helmet. His hair was matted down to his forehead and he ran his hand through it making a mess of it.

“Nah, you can keep going. Shouldn’t be long. Just keep following the same path.” Blake told him as he pulled his boot off. Adam nodded and put his helmet back on and headed out.

Blake leaned against his bike and watched Adam ride off with a smile. He took a bottle of water out of the compartment behind him and waited for Adam to return. It didn’t take more than five minutes for Adam to make his first solo lap around the property. Which is why Blake felt a slight sense of alarm when Adam hadn’t returned the following five minutes later for his second.

He put his helmet on and decided to give him another few minutes. Blake pulled back his shirt to look at the watch on his wrist and when another five minutes had passed, he quickly turned his bike on and followed after Adam.

He made the complete lap back and there was still no sight of him. 

_Where the hell could that idiot have…_ Blake stopped as he realized what Adam must’ve done.

“Shit.” He said aloud and went back into the woods. Only this time he took a left at the fork instead of a right. He dodged a few branches and followed the rockier path, going through several shallow puddles of water until he came across Adam whose bike was stuck up to his calves in water and mud.

“Blake!” Adam let out a sigh of relief when he spotted him.

“I told you to stay to the damn right!” He shook his head as he pulled up near him. 

Adam tried to hit the gas again but all that he ended up doing was making some bubbles in the water. He pulled his helmet off and unbuttoned the camo shirt he was wearing. He could see the sweat drip from Adam’s neck into his t-shirt.

“Yeah, well I think we’ve established that I don’t listen for shit.” Adam wiped his forehead and glared at the ATV. “So how the hell do we get this out of here?”

“We?” Blake laughed. “You didn’t listen. I should make you get out and push.” Adam’s jaw dropped as he looked at Blake, offended at the very indignity of it.

“Very funny. Do you have a rope or something you can tow me out?” Adam asked.

Blake thought about making him push but in the end, it was cold enough out that he didn’t really want Adam standing in the cold, muddy water for as long as it would take to push the bike out.

“I’ll be right back. Turn off the engine.” Blake slowly backed out so he could turn around and headed back to his garage. He grabbed his supplies and raced back to where Adam was stuck.

He stopped quickly next to him, a bit too close to the water, because the next thing he knew a wave of mud sprayed across Adam. He looked down at himself in disbelief while Blake tried not to laugh.

Months ago when he spilled soda all over Adam’s shirt he was horrified. This time he felt nothing but amusement at covering him in mud. Since he unbuttoned the camo shirt the white t-shirt he was wearing underneath it was now covered in mud as well. He should’ve known better when Blake warned him what they were doing and that they were definitely going to get dirty. And he definitely should’ve listened when he told him to stay on the path.

“The fuck, Blake? Do you get off on ruining expensive shirts?” Adam grimaced as his entire left side was covered in mud from his chin down to his boots. 

“I thought you said you wanted me to wreck you?” Blake laughed at him. He normally would’ve been mortified to say that out loud but the adrenalin high made him bolder than usual. 

“Yeah, my ass, not my clothes.” Adam responded. Blake turned away in embarrassment and Adam took the opportunity to grab a chunk of mud from his pants to fling at Blake, hitting the side of his helmet. It slid down slowly and plopped down on Blake’s thigh.

“Feel better?” Blake asked as he threw the rope at Adam.

“I’ll feel better when you rescue me from this damn swamp.” Adam leaned forward on the bike and let out a full body shudder as he felt mud slide down the back of his jeans, cold against his skin.

“It’s so GROSS!” Adam yelled as he tied off the rope.

Blake smiled but didn’t respond. This is exactly why he told him to get the coveralls. When Adam gave him the thumbs up he moved ahead of him and hit the gas. He didn’t have to turn around to know what that did, as he could hear Adam’s yell as more mud hit him.

After several more attempts they were finally able to get Adam free and made their way back to the house.

Blake hopped off the bike, took off his helmet and bit his lip so hard he almost drew blood. Adam was saturated in mud. You could barely even make out the camo pattern on his shirt. Adam pulled off his helmet and placed it on the seat of his bike and turned to Blake.

“Well.” He said as he ran his hand through his hair. The mud on his hand caused some of it to stand up in a clump. “That was fun.” He walked straight over to Blake and by the time he realized what Adam was doing it was too late. 

Adam gave Blake a full body hug, wiggling his body in such a way that he transferred as much of the mud onto Blake as possible. When he pulled back he gave Blake a nod of approval at his work. 

“I’m gonna take a shower.” He looked at the bikes and then back at Blake. “Do you need any help with this first?”

Blake looked down at his own saturated clothes, and as inviting as a shower would be right now, he knew he needed to wash the ATV’s down first.

“Nah. Go ahead. I’m gonna wash these down and I’ll be in.” Adam nodded and made his way to the house. He stripped down to his boxers before entering so not to track mud inside.

By the time Blake finished cleaning up the bikes and then throwing a load of laundry on, he felt drained enough for a nap. It was a bit too late in the day for it, and they definitely needed to eat something, but the idea of a hot shower and a warm bed was almost too inviting.

Adam must’ve had the same idea because when Blake went to use the shower he saw Adam drag himself out of the bathroom, hopefully not having used all the hot water the ridiculously long time he was in there, and crawled into Blake’s bed. It was still strange to believe everything had changed so quickly and that Adam was really here with him. That he was able to see him like this. He must’ve been watching him a little too long because Adam suddenly spoke up.

“What?” Adam asked, tired, his eyes still closed.

“Nothin’.” Blake said quietly. “I just like lookin’ at you.” Blake gave him a shy shrug and made his way into the bathroom before Adam could respond.

_So much for not being openly sentimental, you idiot._

When Blake finished washing the mud and sweat off, he dried himself off and threw on his favorite pair of sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt. He walked out of the bathroom and debated starting dinner, but seeing Adam still in his bed was too tempting. 

He got into bed as gentle as possible and closed his eyes. The only thing he’d give his ex, she picked the most comfortable mattress he’d ever slept on his life. It was going to be a struggle to move let alone get up soon.

“Blake.” Adam rolled over so he was facing him.

“Hmmm?” Blake responded. He turned his head and opened an eye to see Adam giving him a soft smile.

“I like looking at you too.” He said finally. Blake gave him a wide grin and leaned over to kiss him. He loved kissing this man. He could happily stay here for the rest of his life. Adam pulled away and rested his forehead against Blake’s. He squeezed his hip gently.

“I know you’re tired and I’m exhausted too, but I really really want you to fuck me right now.” Blake looked up at Adam in shock. “Only if you want to.” He finished quickly.

“I want to.” Blake said shakily. 

“Yeah?” Adam smiled in relief. Blake nodded and Adam pulled away to grab the supplies he stashed underneath Blake’s bed in case. Blake raised his eyebrows at him in a question.

“After last time I’m not going to risk anything ruining the moment.” Adam explained.

“Fair enough.” Blake choked out. His throat felt really dry all of a sudden. “So how do you want to do this?”

“Have you ever done this before? With a woman?” Adam asked. 

“Once.” He admitted shyly. 

Adam pulled off his shirt and leaned in for another kiss. “Not much difference.” 

“Oh, I think there is one pretty big difference.” Blake let out a short laugh.

“Pretty big, huh?” Adam raised his eyebrow suggestively and Blake pushed him softly back and leaned over him. 

“I am not about to feed that huge ego of yours.” Blake’s eyes were filled with affection as he looked down at him. “But I have no complaints.” Blake gently pushed his hips into Adam’s. They both closed their eyes with a sigh.

“Clothes.” Adam pulled at Blake’s shirt for a moment before abandoning that to pull off his own pants and briefs. Blake quickly followed Adam’s lead until they were both lying next to each other skin on skin.

Adam pushed Blake onto his back and straddled him. Blake tightly gripped Adam’s hip with one hand and pulled him down into a kiss with the other. Adam let out a pleased moan as he licked into Blake’s mouth. 

When Blake finally pulled back for air Adam began to kiss down his jaw before sucking a light mark into his collarbone. This was familiar. They’d come this far before. Blake took a deep breath before moving his hand lower to graze Adam’s ass before retreating back up to his lower back.

Adam grabbed the lube next to him and placed it in Blake’s hand.

“You won’t need much.” He whispered against Blake’s lips. Blake pulled back and gave him a questioning look. “I had a really” Adam kissed his left cheek, “really” then his right, “really nice shower.” He pulled Blake’s lower lip in between his teeth and tugged.

Blake’s eyes widened as the meaning of Adam’s words sunk in, and what he must’ve done in his bathroom.

“Jesus, Adam.” Blake leaned up and slammed his mouth over Adam’s. He winced as Adam’s teeth hit his, but he was too worked up to stop. 

Blake snapped open the tube and added a decent amount to his fingers. He moved his hand back down and pushed his middle finger against Adam’s hole. There was barely any resistance. 

_Fuck fuck fuck._

“Yeah.” Adam agreed. Blake wasn’t sure if he was talking out loud but wasn’t about to stop to ask. He pushed another finger in and Adam reached over to grab the condom and practically threw it at Blake.

“I’ve been worked up for the last half hour.” Adam pushed down against Blake’s fingers. “We’ll go slow next time. I just really need you inside me right fucking now.” Blake couldn’t speak, he just nodded and ripped open the condom and rolled it on with shaking hands. To be safe he added a generous amount of lube to his covered cock. He let out a quick breath as he tried to get himself under control.

He pressed against Adam and looked up at him. Adam licked his lips and slowly pushed down until he was seated against Blake’s thighs. 

“Oh, fuck.” Blake shouted. He dug his hands so deep into Adam’s hips he was sure there would be a mark tomorrow.

“Fuck, Blake.” Adam rolled his hips but then stopped and grabbed at the base of his own cock to keep himself from coming.

Blake felt like his brain was about to explode. His eyes were shut tight as he took a few calming breaths. He was almost afraid to open his eyes on the off chance that this wasn’t really happening. That he wasn’t really inside Adam right now. That he made it all up. He’d never met Adam in his shop, and he was still at home in his depressing bedroom in Nashville and this was all just a drunken fantasy after too much cheap vodka. 

“You ok?” Adam asked. Blake’s eyes shot open and met Adam’s concerned gaze. He nodded for lack of anything to say. “I’m gonna move now.” Adam warned. Blake licked his lips, he didn’t fail to notice Adam’s eyes zero in on that motion.

Blake loosened his grip on Adam slightly, just enough for Adam to slowly lift himself up Blake’s cock before pushing back down. He did this a few times and it was so torturously slow that Blake thought he was going to cry. 

“Faster.” He found his voice finally. Adam smiled down at him and leaned down to a quick peck.

“About fucking time.” He said before speeding up. 

“Christ, yes.” Blake threw his head back in bliss. He looked down at where they were joined and let out an embarrassingly loud groan. Adam leaned down and licked Blake’s lower lip.

“Fuck me.” Adam said in a much more demanding tone. Blake felt himself snap and he wrapped his arms around Adam’s lower back and started to pound into him.

He must’ve been doing something right because Adam couldn’t stop shouting at him not to stop and just like that. 

He continued to slam into Adam and reached down to grab his cock. He timed his strokes to thrust and Adam let out a loud whine.

“Wait. I want you to kiss me when I come.” Adam managed to get out. Blake feeling like he was already way too close, pulled Adam into a deep kiss. His lungs were burning but he couldn’t stop. Everything was Adam and if this was how he was meant to die then Lord was he ready for it. 

Thankfully it didn’t come to that. Another two thrusts and a twist of Blake’s hand had Adam coming over Blake’s fingers and stomach. Blake moaned into Adam’s mouth as he followed shortly after. 

Adam collapsed down onto Blake. His body rising and falling with Blake’s labored breaths. He could feel Adam breathing just as heavily against his neck. 

They lay there quietly before Adam pulled off Blake with a groan. Blake tied off the condom and threw it hopefully in or at least near enough to the trash can next to his bed. He grabbed the last of the tissues off his side table and wiped himself down and handed the remaining ones to Adam.

They turned to look at each other with goofy grins on their faces. 

“As soon as I can feel my legs…” Adam broke the silence. “We are doing that again.”

Blake nodded and leaned over to kiss one of the tattoos on Adam’s left shoulder. “Definitely.”

They both closed their eyes until Adam broke the silence again.

“Blake?” 

“Hmmm.”

“I’m fucking starving.” Adam’s stomach growled as if proving his point.

Blake let out a short breathy laugh and leaned over to the end of the bed to grab his sweatpants and shirt. He tossed them on and stretched.

“I’ll start dinner. As soon as your legs work, come find me.” Blake gave him a wink and left the room closing the door behind him.

 _HOLY SHIT!_ Blake mouthed as he walked into the kitchen. He felt like Judd Nelson at the end of The Breakfast Club. He felt like he needed to punch the air in victory of something. 

Deciding that Adam could emerge from the bedroom at any minute and witness his little display he took a breath and got to work on making dinner. 

He didn’t feel like grilling and a quick pasta was simple enough. After they’d had sex that first time he noticed that Adam was more likely to be in the mood for carbs than he’d normally be. Blake pulled out a can of crushed tomatoes and threw on a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Adam must’ve sensed dinner was ready because as soon as Blake put his plate on the table Adam walked out of the room in his sweatpants and Blake’s jacket.

Blake felt so full of… something that he was practically overflowing. He didn’t even comment on the jacket for once.

He watched as Adam sat down with a slight wince and gave him an apologetic look.

“Don’t pretend you’re not pleased about that.” Adam pointed his fork at him with a teasing grin and dug into his pasta with a groan.

Blake almost choked on his own pasta at the sound. His brain immediately went to the events that had transpired less than an hour ago.

“You’re okay though?” Blake asked.

“Honestly, it’s been a while.” Adam admitted. “But it absolutely fucking worth it.” He smiled and went back to finishing his food. Blake let out a relieved breath and went back to his own dinner. 

After they finished eating Blake washed dishes as Adam dried. It felt ridiculously domestic and Blake hated himself for wanting it to be something he could get used to.

Adam wrapped his arms around Blake from behind and buried his nose into his neck. 

“You smell so fucking good.” Adam gripped him tighter. 

“Okay.” Blake laughed in disbelief.

“Why do you think I wear this insanely huge jacket all the time?” Adam asked curiously. 

“Like you said, it’s comfortable.” Blake shrugged. Adam let go of Blake and he turned around to face him.

“Yeah, it is.” Adam agreed. “It also smells like you.”

“What?” Blake looked at him in confusion.

“That ridiculous cologne you wear. It’s like having you wrapped up around me all the fucking time.” Adam explained as he gripped the opening and pulled it tightly closed to make his point.

“You’re fucking with me now.” _No fucking way._

“If you’re asking me if I’ve jerked off thinking about you while wearing this jacket, then the answer is yes.” Adam gave him a dirty grin.

“What the hell? I didn’t ask that!” Blake’s voice cracked “…When?”

“That first night we got here.” Adam shrugged. “I woke up in the middle of the night and all I could smell was you and I was ridiculously hard and I just rolled over and…”

Blake’s jaw dropped. He looked down at the jacket and back at Adam. 

“VERY carefully mind you not to get anything on your jacket.” Adam leaned forward into Blake and took another deep inhale.

“I cannot believe this. I need to sit.” Blake closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around Adam to steady himself.

“I got somethin’ you can sit on.” Adam joked in a fake country accent. Blake dragged him back into the bedroom and pushed Adam down on the bed. He pulled off his own clothes, and then Adam’s sweatpants.

Adam went to take off the jacket and Blake put his hand over his to stop him.

“No.” He shook his head. His eyes almost black with desire. “Show me.”

Adam’s eyes widened in surprise but he nodded and took hold of his cock and gave it a slow pump. Blake watched him with a look so intense Adam felt it in his bones.

“What were you thinking about?” Blake asked as he licked his lips.

“You...” Adam squeezed on a down stroke and pumped his hips up.

“Mmmhmmm. What about me?” Blake asked. He didn’t know where this was coming from but he felt like he was possessed.

“Your hands.” Adam sighed. “Your mouth.” He used his other hand to press a finger inside himself with a groan.

Blake nodded and ached to reach out and touch him but he stopped himself. 

_Not yet._

“What was I doing?” Blake reached down to take his own cock in his hand. He timed his motions to mirror Adam. 

“You had your fingers inside me.” Adam whined. “And you were licking me open.”

“Is that what you want me to do to you?” Blake asked. Adam’s mouth opened but no sound would come out. He just nodded repeatedly.

Blake leaned over and replaced Adam’s fingers with his own. He pushed two in up to the knuckle and twisted. Adam let out a cry of pleasure and pumped his cock faster. 

“Like that?” Blake asked again and before adding a third finger. “Or like that?”

“Fuck fuck fuck.” Adam threw his head back and arched up trying to take him in deeper. 

“You are so fucking beautiful.” Blake looked at Adam absolutely wrecked below him before he leaned down and licked a strip over his hole.

Adam let out a hoarse shout and begged Blake not to stop. Not that he was going to. It had been a while since he’d done this but the sound of Adam begging him spurred him on. 

“Blake, I can’t.” He looked up and saw the tears in Adam’s eyes. Blake reached his other hand up and replaced Adam’s over his cock as he pushed his tongue inside him.

Adam arched his back up and Blake felt more than saw Adam pulse in his hand and come all over his chest. 

Blake removed his hands and sat back and looked down at Adam with amazement. 

_I did this to him._

He looked down at his own hard cock and took himself in hand. Adam opened his eyes tiredly and locked his gaze on Blake’s.

Blake couldn’t look away. He was too fucking beautiful. He was close but couldn’t quite get there. Adam lifted his hand to replace Blake’s. He didn’t last long after that.

Blake collapsed down next to Adam, convinced he would never move again. He knew he’d need to help clean Adam up but his entire body felt too heavily with exhaustion and satisfaction. He opened his eyes to see Adam lean over and wipe himself down with Blake’s shirt and flop back down. Fair enough. He’d fucked up enough of Adam’s shirts, it was about time he got even.

“Blake…” Adam’s voice sounded raw.

“Mmmm?” Blake responded.

“You have any leftover pasta?” Adam asked timidly.

Blake laughed and scooted over to kiss the smile on Adam’s lips. He couldn’t remember the last time he ever felt so completely fucking happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos. They're a nice reminder that 'Oh yeah, I should probably be working on this.'
> 
> Next one is basically done and hopefully I will remember to finish it.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less then a month between updates this time around!

Adam and Blake woke up to the pinging sound of a new text. Adam cracked an eye open and reached over Blake to grab his phone. It was from Carson. _‘Call me. Now!’_ it read. Adam closed his eyes and dropped the phone loudly on the table. “Mmmm. Too early.” Adam wiggled himself back into Blake’s grip as the phone buzzed against the table signaling a phone call. Adam didn’t move to answer. 

“Hmmm?” Blake mumbled into the pillow.

“Carson.” Adam responded tiredly. He let out a loud groan as he rolled over. His arm resting across Blake’s back and his right leg crossed over Blake’s left. There was silence for a long blissful minute before his phone pinged again two more times.

“Leave me alone!” Adam whined, his voice laced with sleep as he saw the time on clock sitting on the bedside table showing 6:34am. It was barely even light out. Blake jerked awake at the noise. “Sorry”, Adam mumbled an apology into Blake’s neck. Blake turned and grabbed Adam tightly and squeezed. 

“He’s not gonna stop until you call him.” Blake let out a yawn.

“Fuck him.” Adam started kissing a line down Blake’s neck.

“I’d rather not.” Blake responded. He pulled back and caught Adam’s mouth in a soft kiss. Adam let out a pleased moan. 

“Blake?” Adam quietly muttered against his lips.

“Hmm?” Blake responded. He opened his eyes and felt the breath get sucked out of his lungs. The way Adam was looking at him. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever looked at him like that before. 

“Blake,” Adam started again. Before he could finish his phone started buzzing against the dresser. “I... am going to kill him.”

“Answer the phone.” Blake leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll make breakfast.” He reluctantly let Adam go and sat up.

Adam shivered with the loss of Blake’s body heat and threw on a pair of black lounge pants, a ratty Lakers shirt, and Blake’s jacket which he’d left on a chair by the bed. Blake threw on a new t-shirt and pulled on his sweatpants as he saw Adam grab for his phone with an annoyed frown.

“Hold on.” Adam said to Carson with a slight bite in his tone. “I’ll be out in a sec.” He then said much softer over his shoulder as Blake left the room.

Blake made his way into the kitchen and pulled out the ingredients to make biscuits and gravy. He threw the package of sausage in a pot of cold water to finish thawing it out and started a pot of coffee. He grabbed Adam’s pasta dish from last night and gave it a quick wash while he waited.

He leaned against the counter and let out a contented sigh. Blake felt lighter than he could ever remember feeling. Like everything was how it was always meant to be. Just him and Adam and no one else. He wished it could last forever.

“This is fucking unbelievable. I’m never getting out of here. We’re in the middle of bum fuck nowhere!” Adam rushed out of the bedroom in a panic. 

Blake jumped back from the counter. “Adam?” 

Adam didn’t answer him. He was too busy yelling at Carson about some pictures and being followed. He shoved his sneakers on and looked around the room, grabbing items as he went.

“Is everything okay?” Blake walked over and touched Adam’s arm. Adam flinched away and turned to Blake with wide eyes.

“I’ll call you back.” He said to Carson and hung up on the man who sounded as though he was mid-rant.

“What’s going on, Adam?” Blake was worried. He’d never seen Adam like this.

“What’s going on?” Adam laughed but there was only coldness in his eyes. Blake jerked back in surprise.

“What’s going on is there are photos of us on the internet.” Adam continued. Blake looked confused.

“Is that so strange? We’ve been hanging out in Nashville and around town here. Someone was bound to recognize you eventually.” Blake knew Adam didn’t have any hangups about being with a man. He had previous public relationships and had even told Blake he didn’t give a shit about what the press thought about him.

“Not those kinds of pictures. Private pictures. Of us.” Adam said slowly. 

Blake frowned. How could anyone have gotten private photos of them? His ranch was in the middle of nowhere and it was gated with security lights. He would’ve noticed if someone had been spying on them. The only one of his friends who even had social media was Kelly and she knew better than to post anything like that online without asking Blake first. 

“I don’t understand.” Adam unlocked his phone and held it up to him. It was some gossip website.

Blake scrolled through the photos. There were a dozen pictures of them. One was outside of Blake’s property from what he could tell was taken outside the front gate. Clearly a professional grade photo probably from a paparazzo. But then there were the others. A photo of Adam chopping wood shirtless, another one of Adam in bed, laying on his stomach clearly undressed and giving the camera the middle finger with a big smile. A few more of them goofing off around town. A few selfie style photos of them kissing on the couch or making silly faces into the camera. The last one from the get together at Kelly’s. It was Blake and Adam playing guitar and smiling like idiots at each other. Blake loved that picture. It made him furious to think of someone else seeing it. Taking something so personal and splashing it online for entertainment. 

“Oh, I understand.” Adam walked over to him until he was standing inches from Blake’s face. He grabbed the phone and put it in his pocket. “Your business is going to shit so you figured the best way to fix your problem is to fuck me over. Make me trust you so you can tell everyone you got off with a celebrity and bam! Business is booming!”

“You really think I would do that to you?” Blake felt like he’d just taken a knife to the chest. “After everything?”

“I don’t need to think about anything. I saw you take the photos and now they’re on the internet. How did they get there, Blake?” Adam asked evenly. 

“I don’t know.” Blake said defeated and confused. 

“I wish I could believe that.” Adam turned away and walked around the house picking up his stuff and throwing it into the black garbage bag. Blake sat there and watched him, wishing he knew what to say. He sat on a stool and said nothing as he felt his heart break with every second that passed.

Carson called back and he and Adam had another argument about sending someone to get him and flights out of Oklahoma. 

“The nearest airport is like an hour away. You can’t just call a cab out here! Did you not understand me when I said I was in the middle of fucking NOWHERE?” Adam pulled his phone away from his ear and shouted into it at Carson.

“You can take my truck.” Blake said quietly. Adam looked back at him. Blake nodded his head towards the keys on the table between them. “Dallas/Fort Worth is about a two hour drive. Leave it in overnight parking. Put the keys in the glove compartment and lock it up. I’ve got a spare set.” Adam pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up on Carson.

They stared at each other silently until Blake couldn’t stand it anymore and looked down at his hands. They were clenched so tightly he was sure his nails were breaking the skin. He didn’t look up again until he heard the sound of the door closing and the gravel crunching as the truck pulled away. He looked out the window as the taillights faded from view. 

Just as Adam passed the gate he saw two flashes which he could only assume were from a camera. He stared out the window for a long while. Like he expected at any minute Adam would drive back up the path and tell him he was playing some kind of a joke on him.

An hour had passed and Blake finally dragged himself away from the window. He walked slowly towards the bedroom, the blood rushing in his ears making him dizzy. He looked at the empty bed, sheets askew, the blanket half on the floor. Blake sat down on the bed and closed his eyes as the tightness in his chest made it almost hard to breathe. 

He didn’t understand how things went so wrong so quickly. It didn’t make sense. Adam had to know that he’d never do that to him. He picked up his cell phone to call Adam but thought better of it and put it back down on the bed next to him. He leaned over to grab the blanket from off of the floor and pulled it over his shoulders as he lay back on the bed.

 _‘Adam was upset. He just needed some time to calm down and he’d see reason. They’d talk it out and everything would be fine.’_ Blake tried to reason with himself. Anything to keep from picking up his phone and calling or texting him.

For the first few hours Blake didn’t take his eyes off his phone for longer than a few minutes at a time. He received several calls from his sister, his friends, Luke, even his mom had left a message at one point. None of them were from Adam. To make sure he wasn’t going to miss Adam’s call, the second someone else’s name showed up on the caller ID he immediately sent it to voicemail. No point in risking it. Later in the day everyone must’ve taken the hint because his phone suddenly stopped ringing and Blake was left in his house that was suddenly both too big and too quiet. 

However, despite ignoring her calls, Kelly showed up that night, walking in like she owned the place and ranting about almost running over a photographer with her pick-up truck outside Blake’s gate. She didn’t try to ask him how he was feeling, she just sat down and poured them both a drink. Blake looked away from his phone and decided that maybe Adam was still settling in back in Nashville, or Los Angeles, or wherever it was he went back to. He put his phone in his pocket, downed his drink in one long shot, and held out his empty glass to Kelly who refilled it without comment. 

_‘Tomorrow.’_ Blake thought. _‘He’d call tomorrow.’_

He refused to give Kelly his phone and said he’d be perfectly fine by himself without her needing to babysit. In fact, he lasted a lot longer than he thought he would before giving in and texting Adam. Not long after two in the morning he sent him a text asking, _‘Please just tell me you got home safe.’_ He waited almost an hour for a reply before closing his eyes and finally falling asleep.

Adam did eventually respond with two short messages, but it wasn’t enough to relieve the tightness in Blake’s chest.

 _‘DFW North Parking Lot.’_ came in at 3:40am. Then another message came in 24 minutes later. _‘I’m home.’_

Blake debated on whether or not he should respond, but those texts had come in over two hours ago. With the time difference he was probably sleeping by now. After staring at the two messages for another half hour he decided that while Adam didn’t ask how Blake was doing there was nothing in his words that closed the door on further conversation. He’d responded to Adam later. _‘They’d talk it out and everything would be fine.’ _Blake repeated his earlier thoughts.__

__When he had Kelly drive him to pick up his truck at the DFW parking lot first thing in the morning he found his keys in the glove compartment like he’d asked, and his denim jacket folded on the passenger seat._ _

__Blake felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. That wasn’t just closing the door, that was cementing it shut._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you saw the movie you probably knew this was coming eventually. 
> 
> As always thanks for the comments and kudos! They are always appreciated even if this turn of events won't be.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are gonna get angsty before they get better, but they will get better! I would not do Hugh and Julia the disservice of having this be an unhappy ending!

Blake used to love mornings in Oklahoma. The sounds of nature around him and the stillness of everything. Now the silence felt deafening. He ignored the lone photographer outside his ranch, though Kelly made sure to give him the finger and yell some creative language at him as they returned to his house. He held the jacket tightly in his hands and told Kelly to go home with a firmness she wasn’t used to from him. 

She grabbed his shoulder tightly for a moment and told him to call her if he needed anything and pulled back out. He wasn’t sure her almosting hitting the guy was an accident this time.

Blake dropped the jacket on the couch and went straight for the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of vodka which had about a half a glass still left in it and drank it down in one shot. He grabbed a full but smaller, unopened bottle next, unscrewed it and took a long swig. He let out a small cough and went into the guest bedroom taking the bottle with him.

He stared at the bed where Adam had slept the first half of their vacation. His eyes moved across the room and landed on a stray sock in the corner peeking out from under a chair. He bent over to pick it up and threw it in the empty clothes basket before stripping the bed making his way around the rest of the house.

He saw a note Adam had left on the table and crumbled that up and threw it in the basket with the sock and the pen he’d used to write it. Making his way around the house he also found one of the flannel shirts Blake had taken him to buy and added that to the pile as well. He took two longer gulps and pulled back to see half the bottle was gone. Great. Now he’d need to get more vodka.

He stopped at the bathroom next and grabbed Adam’s toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner and tossed them in the basket with the rest of Adam’s things. He glanced at the bathroom mirror for half a second and convinced himself that the redness in his eyes was from the alcohol. He leaned against the wall and finished the bottle and dropped it into the sink with a crash.

By the time he made it to his bedroom he was more than slightly swaying on his feet. Blake stared at Adam’s side of the bed and roughly grabbed the sheets, blanket, and pillow cases and pulled them off the bed. He tossed them in the overfull basket and made his way out to the back of the house, grabbing a lighter and a bottle of Jack with him on the way.

Blake turned over the basket into a pile on the ground, grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and threw that on top of it. He held up the bottle of liquor and began to unscrew the top before pausing. He stared at the pile of Adam’s things; clothes, notes, sheets and blankets that he’d been sleeping on and then at the bottle in his hand. He let out a loud “Fuck!” into the air and lowered the bottle. No point in wasting perfectly good whiskey. With his luck he’d set himself on fire like an idiot. 

He bent down, with much trouble and very little balance, and put everything back into the basket and slowly stumbled his way back into the house. He threw the clothes, sheets, and blankets into the wash and put the shampoo and conditioner into a cabinet. The notes and pen he put in a junk drawer that he barely used. 

Blake dropped onto the couch and felt worse than he had probably ever felt. Between the alcohol, heartbreak, and not eating much in the last 24 hours, he just wanted to curl up and drown in his self pity. He opened the bottle, took a big gulp and tossed it on the coffee table in front of his couch. It rolled off the table and hit the floor with a loud crash, but it didn’t sound like it had broken and he didn’t have the energy to care if it had. He couldn’t even tell if he’d bothered to screw the lid on properly. 

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and stared at the blurry screen. He opened his texts to Adam’s name and deleted all messages. He then tossed the phone somewhere to his left and proceeded to pass out on his couch where he thankfully did not dream. That feeling a pleasant nothingness lasted for ten blissful hours before he started to regain consciousness. 

Blake groaned as he woke up to the smell of Adam all around him and for a brief, calm moment, Blake thought the last two days were just an alcohol fueled hallucination. That Adam was still here and whatever trainwreck that had gone down was just a really horrible dream. 

“Adam?” Blake croaked out.

“Nope. Guess again.” A voice came from the chair next to him.

When he painfully raised his head from off the couch cushion he saw that he was using his jacket that Adam had all but taken as his own for a pillow. He turned to his left and groaned in an altogether different kind of pain.

“How in the hell did you get in here?” Blake asked. He dragged himself to a sitting position and winced. At least it was dark out and he didn’t have to deal with the sunlight on top of this. 

“What? No nice to see you, Luke?” Luke rolled his eyes at him. 

“Who’s watchin’ the store?” Blake put his head in his hands. The pain was brutal.

“Some photographers mostly.” Luke answered. “Considering the mess you went and got yourself into I didn’t think you’d mind if I closed up for a few days. Let everything settle.”

Blake nodded but didn’t remove his head from his hands. He had only heard a few brief seconds of Luke’s voicemails before deleting them. He didn’t know how to meet his best friend's eyes. He didn’t even know how to start. However, Luke didn’t seem to have that issue. 

“I am not even going to mention the fact that you never told me the guy you were talking to was Adam frickin’ Levine.” Luke stood up and paced the room. Blake lifted his head and could feel the nausea set in as he watched him walk back and forth. 

“Great job not mentioning it.” Blake said miserably. 

“It’s that you told Kelly before me.” Luke sounded betrayed, and yeah, that was fair. He’d lied to his best friend for months. He would feel the same if the show were on the other foot.

“I didn’t TELL Kelly.” Blake said tiredly. “She found out on her own and just showed up here. I wasn’t gonna tell anyone.” Blake tried to explain but Luke didn’t appear to be satisfied with that. 

“So you were just never going to tell me at all?” Luke asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I was.” Blake looked up at him finally. His friend looked genuinely hurt and that might actually be worse than him being angry. 

“Did you think I was gonna be ashamed of you or somethin’?” Luke asked.

“No. That’s not it at all.” Blake denied. “I just didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

Luke looked at his friend who was clearly in pain and let out a sigh. He sat down next to him on the couch and picked up the bottle from the floor before gently placing it on the table. 

“I’m sorry, man.” Luke bumped his shoulder into him. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“I wish I knew.” Blake looked at his friend hopelessly. “We were having a great time and everything was fine and then those pictures ended up online and I still don’t know how.”

“You don’t think it was one of them do you?” Luke asked, referring to their friends.

“No.” He shook his head. “Kelly had torn everyone a new asshole questioning them about it. It wasn’t… they wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Have you tried to call him?” Luke asked.

Blake shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Why not? It was clearly a misunderstanding. Just give him a call and talk some sense into him.” Luke grabbed Blake’s phone and handed it to him. Blake looked down at the phone and went to show Luke their last texts to get his opinion but frowned when nothing showed up. 

That’s right. You deleted everything last night when you were drunk, you giant idiot.

“I deleted everything.” Blake said as he got up shakily and grabbed a water from the kitchen. Luke followed and jumped up to sit on the counter top while Blake sat on a stool and began to slowly sip his water and take two tylenol.

They sat there in silence for a while before Blake started talking. He told him everything. From the first day they met at the shop, the texts and phone calls, the days they’d spend together leading up to Blake inviting him to stay during his time off. He hesitated to share some details of their time together since coming here but if anyone would understand it was Luke. So he told him. About the jacket, and him mooning over Adam like an idiot until Adam told him he liked him too. 

He winced as he hesitantly told his friend that they’d begun sleeping with each other several days ago, but Luke hadn’t even flinched at this. He sat quietly on the counter and listened as Blake finished his story, ending with the jacket that Adam left in his truck. Luke looked down at his hands like he was processing everything Blake had just told him and, yeah he gets it. It’s a lot to take in. Finally Luke turned to Blake with a sad look on his face and shook his head.

“Well, fuck.” Luke rubbed his hands over his face. Blake nodded but didn’t add anything else. 

They didn’t stay much longer in Oklahoma, spending the next day cleaning up and making sure everything was closed up good for the winter. Kelly had tried to convince him to stay until after Thanksgiving but Blake declined her offer. He needed things to get back to normal, and it wasn’t fair to have Luke continue to look after the shop considering everything.

He spoke to his friends and thought he did a decent enough job convincing everyone that he was fine and they really shouldn’t worry about him. His Mom was another story altogether. He knew if he spoke to her she’d see right through him, and demand that he stay put until she got home. So he took the cowards way out and he had Luke call her instead. Their conversation was brief and Luke didn’t say much after but did confirm that she told him to tell Blake that she loves him and that he better call her when he got back to Nashville.

Luke flew in so he was more than happy to drive back with Blake the next day after making the quick rounds to see his friends in the morning. He promised Blake he wouldn’t say anything about him or how Luke found him the night before. Several hours later they were all packed up and pulled out of Blake’s long driveway without glancing back. The drive from Tishomingo to Nashville was a lot quieter than the drive in. There were no stupid jokes, and obnoxiously loud sing alongs. These are things he’d done with Luke in the past, but the other man seemed to understand that Blake needed time and the quiet.

By the time he got home he wasn’t surprised to see a note from Cee-Lo saying that he left on an extended vacation to see his family for Thanksgiving, but he was more than welcome to come visit if he needed to. He’d spent Easter with them last year, and while Atlanta was only a little over 3 hour drive away, he couldn’t imagine being around that kind of energy and eccentricity right now. Not like it mattered, Thanksgiving was still a week and a half away and Blake was grateful that he’d be spending it alone this year. 

He threw his bag on his bed and started pulling his clothes out and putting them away. He ignored the jacket until last and stared at it for several long minutes trying to decide what to do with it. He didn’t want it destroyed, tried and failed at that already, but he also didn’t want to look at it. He should just donate it and be done with it. He threw it on the chair on the other side of his room, and sat down to take his boots off when he heard a knock at the door.

_Damn it, Luke! Not again._

It had become a habit that every time Luke rode in Blake’s truck he left something behind. Blake stood up and groaned at the tightness in his knees from sitting too long over the last 10+ hours. He grabbed Luke’s phone charger from off of his kitchen table and made his way to the door. 

“Couldn’t this wait until tomor…” Blake said as he opened the front door. He took a shocked step back as he was blinded by flashes and people shouting his name. 

**“BLAKE! BLAKE! OVER HERE!”**

**“HOW LONG HAVE YOU AND ADAM..."**

**“WHY DID YOU...”**

**“DID HE...”**

**"DID YOU..."**

**"HOW MUCH..."**

The questions were rapid fire, loud and personal and Blake felt the beginnings of a panic attack as he jumped back and slammed the door shut. He quickly turned the dead bolt as well as a precaution. He walked away from the door slowly and shut off all the lights before locking himself in his room as well. He sat back down on the bed and looked down at his empty hand. He must've dropped Luke’s charger by or out the door, but there was no way in hell he was going back for it.

He tried to play back some of the questions they were shouting at him and felt his chest tighten when he realized that he hadn’t denied anything, he’d just shut the door. What if Adam saw that and thought all that crap they said was true? How did they even know where he lived?

_Holy fuck. What was happening?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably less than 10 chapters to go, I think. I appreciate everyone for sticking with me on this even though the updates have been less frequent the last few months.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly trying to get the rest of this done before this story turns 1 year old.

Blake stood at the window of his shop and watched the pedestrians as they walked by. He felt a small sense of relief at the peace and quiet. The photographers that had been hanging around his house and store for the last month had finally given up. As soon as they realized that they weren’t going to get a comment from him their numbers started to dwindle. Up until yesterday there was only one person left and even they must’ve finally sensed that Blake was old news at this point. Sales in his store, however, had a bit of a surge. Normally he’d be thrilled that business had picked up as much as it had in the last few weeks, but if anything it just made him angry. They weren’t buying because they wanted records. They were buying so that they could tell everyone they got it from Adam Levine’s secret… whatever they are… were. 

It made him think about everything Adam had said to him. How he accused him of using their relationship to drum up business. The fact that this awful story ended up doing just that made him want to just close up forever and sell. Unfortunately the bills still needed to be paid and rent didn’t stop being due every month just because his heart was broken. He was stuck. Blake stepped away from the window and did a sweep around, picking up records that were out of place from people browsing and changing their minds, and worked on putting them back where they belong. He stopped in front of the Pop/Rock section and stared at the display shelves in front of him with confusion. 

_Something was off. What was off?_

“I moved them.” Luke said quietly. It suddenly clicked in Blake’s head. 

‘M-A” comes before M-C” Blake said out loud, using his index finger to pull forward the records before realizing what wasn’t there anymore.

“Where did you move them?” Blake felt another headache coming on. He really didn’t have the energy for another fight. Luke looked reluctant to say as he turned the page in his magazine like he didn’t hear Blake’s question.

“Luke?” Blake asked again. Luke finally looked up with an annoyed expression. They stared at each other almost waiting for the other to break first. Luke never was any good at that.

“After what he...” Luke started to explain.

“LUKE!” Blake interrupted loudly, stopping the other man from continuing his rant. “Where?”

“Polka. In the back.” He frowned and pointed to a back corner of the store by the flickering light. The light had always been a bit wonky in that area for as long as he could remember. They called an electrician over a year and a half ago but they wanted such a crazy amount of money to fix it that he decided to put it off until they could afford it which didn’t look close to happening anytime soon. They ended up putting the records that never sold in that area and no one had ever commented on it.

Blake walked over to the Polka section and there, hidden behind _Gus Polinski and The Kenosha Kickers_ , were a thick stack of Maroon 5 albums. He lifted them out, walked back to the counter, and dropped them heavily into Luke’s arms.

“Put it back.” Blake said, not taking no for an answer.

“They don’t deserve the money.” Luke argued.

“We already bought them to sell, dumbass. They already HAVE our money!”

“Then use them for target practice.” Luke said, getting worked back up again.

“I’m not going to waste perfectly good inventory!” Blake raised his own voice. 

“Fuck that guy!” Luke shouted angrily. 

“Yeah. And we can see where _**that**_ got me!” Blake shouted back with a mix of sarcasm and genuine anger. Luke closed his mouth in surprise at Blake’s outburst and shame at himself for not choosing his words a bit more carefully. Blake rolled his eyes at him and grabbed his jacket.

“Blake...” Luke walked around the counter. 

“I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back in an hour. Everything better be back where it’s supposed to be by then.” He walked out the front door without waiting for a response.

He knew where Luke was coming from. He’d always been protective of him. Hell, if the shoe was on the other foot and Luke had hooked up with a famous musician he’d probably do the same thing. Though truth be told Luke probably wouldn’t have made some of the shitty decisions he had. 

Blake shivered at the cold in the area and pulled his jacket tighter around him. The one he was wearing now wasn’t as heavy as his denim one. It wasn’t nearly thick enough to warm him up but it was fine enough to keep the wind off him. While he couldn’t stand the thought of wearing the other jacket, when he tried to donate it he ended up digging it out of the bag at the last minute. It was currently hung up in the supply closet at the shop. He and Luke barely used that closet so he didn’t think Luke would even know it was there. 

He walked past a few restaurants and noticed people whispering as he passed. They probably weren’t talking about him, but everything that had gone on in his life lately had made him a bit more paranoid than usual. He debated getting something to eat since he hadn’t had time for breakfast and it was well past lunch, but he wasn’t hungry. The very idea of food right now made him sick to his stomach. He knew going to a bar would only make him feel even worse. You know you’ve had a shitty time of it when you’re too sad to even drink. 

Blake considered going home for a while but he didn’t really feel like having CeeLo try to cheer him up. When he returned from Atlanta over Thanksgiving CeeLo spent a full week trying to get Blake to come out to dinner with him and go to one of his parties, or at least let him buy him some new boots. According to CeeLo there wasn’t anything that a new pair of boots couldn’t make better. Blake liked his own boots just fine and he doubted that was really true. He thanked the man, but politely declined and spent more time than usual hiding out in his room when CeeLo was around.

He completed all of his Christmas shopping online this year so he couldn’t even use that as a distraction. He walked a few more blocks until he spotted a movie theater, and quickly sent a text to Luke saying he wasn’t going to be in for the rest of the day. Walking over to the booth he picked the movie starting the soonest which, thankfully, happened to be an action movie. He could deal with some mindless destruction right about now. 

When he sat in his seat and the lights went out, he felt calm for the first time in months. Since before Oklahoma, since before he ever met Adam. When all he had to worry about was keeping the lights on in the shop and the bills paid. The movie was bright, and loud, and drowned everything else out. The movie itself was awful, and as soon as it was over he gave the kid who came in to clean up $20 and watched it again. By the time he got home he felt so much lighter that even CeeLo did a double take at his smile. 

That didn’t last long. He must’ve accidentally shut off all of his alarms while he was watching the movie because they hadn’t gone off the next morning making him curse loudly as he looked at the time on his phone and rushed to get ready. By the time Blake walked into the shop after 10 Luke was sitting behind the counter reading his magazine as usual. Blake glanced over at the shelves and nodded when he saw the records were back where they were supposed to be.

“They’re all there.” Luke said, slightly annoyed at Blake for doubting him.

“Don’t get pissy with me because you went and gave yourself more work.” Blake said as he grabbed the mail from the counter.

“Fine. Don’t get pissy with **me** when one of those vultures comes in here and asks you to sign it.” Luke stood up and walked into the back.

 _Shit. Hadn’t thought of that._

To be honest he wasn’t 100% sure what he’d do if that ever happened. Hopefully he’d never find out. Blake grabbed Luke’s magazine and followed him into the office. Luke was sitting on the cot and playing a game on his phone. Blake tossed the magazine at him and Luke almost dropped the phone with a curse.

“Magazines and video games? What am I paying you for again?” Blake joked.

“My good looks, mostly.” Luke responded with a shrug. Blake sat down next to him on the cot and folded his hands in his lap.

“I’m sorry about my mood lately. I promise I’ll try to be better about it.” Blake said awkwardly. 

“You don’t need to apologize. I get it…” Luke paused with a frown. “Actually, I _**don’t**_ get it because what went down with you two is not anything I could’ve ever imagined in my wildest dreams.”

“You and me both.” Blake agreed.

“Don’t worry though. It’ll get easier. You’ll forget all about him, and you’ll move on and it’ll just be another funny story that we make fun of you mercilessly about someday in the not so distant future.” Luke said as he put a hand on Blake’s shoulder.

“Thanks, buddy.” Blake let out a short laugh. 

“It’s what I’m here for.” Luke then gave him a playful punch on the arm. 

Blake found that in the months that followed he had a run of great days when he forgot Adam ever existed and then days when he could barely breathe from the pain in his chest. On a particularly cold day in February Blake found himself experiencing the latter when Adam’s new album was released. There was absolutely no avoiding or forgetting anything. There were advertisements all over buses, billboards, and the radio.

He and Luke had a pretty big fight over whether or not they should stock it. Blake said it would be bad for business not to. Luke still insisted that they not give any more money to the man who broke Blake’s heart. They finally came to an agreement that if anyone came in and requested it then they’d stock it. Luke agreed to this compromise and let it go for now, but he had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time they fought about this.

When Blake got home that night he grabbed an extra pair of CeeLo’s headphones that were lying around in a junk drawer and locked himself in his room and downloaded the album. By the time he talked himself into listening to it he ended up having to pour himself a small drink of liquid courage and laid back on his bed and pressed play.

The first song on the album was the one Blake had heard them play when he visited the band at the studio. Adam sounded just as good as he remembered. With his eyes closed he could almost imagine he was back in that room listening to it, watching in awe as Adam smiled at him like an idiot. 

He listened to the entire album twice before admitting to himself that he couldn’t bear to listen to it again. It was a great album. He recognized a lot of the songs from hanging out with Adam and watching his process. It felt like having a knife to the chest being pushed in deeper with every song.

He put his finger over the Remove Album option and took a breath before selecting it. It took him four tries as every time he hit the button the damn app would crash which he refused to take as a sign. Eventually it recognized the command and the album was gone. He looked up at the ceiling blankly for several long minutes until he jumped at the sudden weight pressed against his leg.

“Aw, hell.” Blake let out a yelp. He reached down and scratched the white cat behind the ears. “How’d you get in here? You hidin’ under my bed again, hmmm?”

Ms. Precious Purrfect crawled up Blake’s side until she was standing on his stomach and meowed down at him. Blake continued to scratch behind her ears and she laid down heavily against his chest.

“I’m not doing **_that_** bad am I?” Blake asked. For some reason CeeLo’s cat seemed to have a strange intuition for when Blake was dealing with heartbreak and would demand that he cuddle with her. She wouldn’t leave his side after his divorce and more often than not in the last few months she’d hide out under his bed and wait for him to come home. It was a bit spooky and honestly he was too afraid to ask CeeLo about it.

He could hear the loud purring as she fell asleep on top of him and Blake rested his hand on her back as he closed his own eyes. He’d never admit it, but he appreciated the no strings attached comfort that could only come from a pet. He felt claws lightly dig into him and he began to stroke the cat from her head down to her tail. Well, almost no strings attached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gus Polinski and The Kenosha Kickers were the Polka band led by John Candy in the movie Home Alone.


	29. Chapter 29

Luke had been giving him odd looks all week. He looked like he wanted to ask him a question and kept chickening out. Blake had learned his lesson. The last time he was in this situation he ended up breaking down and asking Adam to just spit it out and that started them down the road that quickly ruined them. He wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting his curiosity get the best of him again. If Luke wanted to talk to him, he could just nut up and do it.

Luckily, or unluckily as it turned out, Luke just needed to get some drinks into himself first. They were sitting at the end of a crowded bar and Luke leaned into Blake like he was going to whisper a secret to him. Only he had several beers in him so it came out a bit louder than either of them would’ve liked when he asked, “Are you still into women?”

“What?” Blake asked, startled by the question.

“I’ve got the perfect woman for you! She is ridiculously hot. Unless... I mean, I don’t know of any guys to set you up with, but I probably know some people who know some people who do if that’s strictly your thing now.” Luke explained.

“Yes, I’m still into women.” Blake rolled his eyes and took a sip of his whiskey. “And no thank you. I don’t need nor want your help gettin’ a date.”

“C’mon, Blake! You really should get back out there. Have some fun and get your mind off of…” He stopped and Blake dared him to finish with his eyes. “…things. It’d be good for you.”

“I’ll decide what’s good for me. Leave it alone.” Blake warned. Luke shook his head at him and looked down at the other end of the bar.

“Well, if tonight is a good night for decidin’, the woman over there’s been given’ you eyes for the last twenty minutes.” Luke nodded his head in her general direction. Blake turned and gave her a polite smile, but no indication that he was interested. Luke looked offended on her behalf. They’d both get over it soon enough.

He put the whole thing behind him until the following week when he was ringing up a customer. He was not much shorter than Blake. He had bright blue eyes, light blonde hair, and a nice smile. A smile that Blake found a bit confusing since he had just said an awful pun to him about one of the albums he’d just bought..

In fact, when he lingered a little while after paying, Blake’s confusion turned to downright suspicion. Another few minutes of conversation and yeah, the man was definitely flirting with him. Blake stepped away when he gently moved to touch his arm.

“Did Luke put you up to this?” Blake asked, annoyed.

“Who?” The man asked with a look of bewilderment. 

“Jokes over. I told him to mind his own business. Thank you. I’m flattered, but really not interested.” Blake looked at him seriously. 

“Umm. Sure.” He looked a bit freaked out and Blake watched as he left. When Luke came back from his lunch Blake went on a five minute tangent about Luke meddling into his life.

“I told you I didn’t need you to set me up. So tell your friend… or your friend's friend whoever they are not to send any more guys here. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever ask you to set me up with someone. I said to stay the hell out of it and I meant it!” Blake pointed a finger accusingly at Luke. 

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t send anyone over here. You said you weren’t ready to date so I left it alone like you asked.”

Blake looked at Luke trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. If there was one thing about his best friend, he couldn’t lie to Blake for shit. He could see on the other man’s face that he was speaking the truth and he definitely did not send that guy here to flirt with him. The look of anger switched quickly to confusion, and then to horror at what he’d just done.

_Well, shit. That’s embarrassing._

“Did you just make an ass out of yourself with some hot stranger, is that what you’re tryin’ to tell me right now?” Luke fought to keep the amusement off his face. Fought and lost that battle very quickly.

“Oh, shut up.” Blake walked away as Luke followed him with a shit eating grin.

“What’d he look like? Did he ask for your number before you blew up at him? Paint me a picture here.” Luke goaded.

“He wasn’t that good looking.” Blake sulked. He willed the blush to leave his face but judging from Luke’s laughter he was not successful. 

“You wouldn’t be this embarrassed if he wasn’t. This is great.” Luke laughed harder. Blake gave his friend an unimpressed look until Luke wiped a tear from his eyes. “Thanks, man. I was due for a good laugh at your expense. It’s been too long.”

“Glad I could help.” Blake rolled his eyes at him. He looked down at his phone to see a number he didn’t recognize and sent it straight to voicemail.

“Who was that?” Luke asked. 

“Dunno. If it’s someone I know they’ll leave a message.”

“I thought you got that sorted out already?” Luke asked with a frown. 

“It took me two weeks to get my photos onto the new one, give me a damn break.” Blake said with frustration. 

Luke was right. He was acting like a crazy person lately. After receiving an upsetting phone call a month ago, Blake had been extremely paranoid about every person he came into contact with. He got a new phone and number last month and hadn’t figured out how to properly transfer his contacts, so he pretty much sent every number he didn’t know by heart directly to voicemail and called back anyone important.

He saw the alert for a new voicemail and hit play. It was some guy who was apparently friends with Kelly and was giving him a call because apparently they had a lot in common. Blake rolled his eyes and deleted the message. It was bad enough coming from Luke, but at least he knew when to back off. Kelly was a different beast all together. That woman didn’t know the meaning of quit. Blake had gotten all kinds of phone calls from both men and women looking to “just talk” about whatever and see where it leads. Giving Kelly his new phone number had been a huge mistake.

Speaking of mistakes, a few weeks after the “flirting disaster” as Luke referred to it, Blake spotted the same man in a grocery store during his bi-weekly food shop. His first reaction was to curse himself for not letting CeeLo go as he had volunteered. Moments later he felt the guilt set in. He debated going over to apologize to the man and explain the misunderstanding to him, but decided the best course of action would be to hide in the next aisle like a coward until after he checked out and left. It was a good plan. A great plan even! Or it would have been had they not accidentally made eye contact when the man suddenly turned his head while standing at the register.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

Blake let out a long exhale and walked toward the register slowly. He waved at the man who watched him wearily. Deserved that.

“Hi.” Blake said hesitantly. “I’m not sure if you remem… of course you remember me. I made a complete ass out of myself.” Blake said more to himself. “I’m real sorry about that day. I went through a pretty bad break up recently and my friends have been hounding me about getting back out there and I thought one of them sent you to ask me out after I told him to back off.” Blake let the words just tumble out of him before he lost his nerve.

He gave Blake a long long before nodding in acceptance of Blake’s story and holding his hand out for Blake to shake. “Dierks” He introduced himself with a small grin. 

“Blake.” He took Dierks’s hand and shook it quickly before pulling back and putting his hands awkwardly in his pockets to hide his nerves.

“It’s ok. My pride was hurt a bit, but I got over it.” He smiled politely at Blake who looked relieved. “Sorry about your break up.” He said genuinely as he looked over Blake’s shoulder with a thoughtful expression on his face. Dierks looked back at him and pulled out a card from his wallet. He held it out to Blake who looked down at it in surprise.

“Oh.” Blake looked from the card to Dierks and back. “I…”

“If you ever feel like getting over it with someone else.” Blake looked from the card back up to him. “Give me a call.” He squeezed Blake’s shoulder with a smile and walked out of the store with his bags. Blake turned to watch him go, his mouth open like an idiot. 

What the hell?

He could not believe that after the scene he made the other week, and his awkwardness just now, that he was still interested in him. Blake turned around to finish his food shop and let all this sink in as a magazine behind his shoulder caught his eye. 

**_LEVINE’S NEW LEADING LADY_** was plastered on the cover in bold red lettering. Underneath it was a photo of Adam wrapped around some actress that Blake vaguely recognized. It was clearly a paparazzi photo and they were both smiling. He shakily opened the magazine and flipped through it until he found the cover story. He didn’t bother to read the article, just looked at the photos. There was one photo of him and Blake, but then next to it, Adam was kissing the woman sweetly on the cheek. 

Blake put the magazine back a bit more forcefully than he needed to, paid for his food and walked out of the store. He couldn’t remember the drive home, but by the time he got there he put the food in the fridge and decided that he wasn’t hungry anymore. He pulled out the card with Dierks’s number out of his pocket and tossed it in the trash. At least he knew why he'd given him his phone number. He’d clearly recognized Blake and probably wanted the inside story. He walked into his room and pulled his cell phone out and called Luke.

“You’re gonna need to stock up on sweaters.” Blake said bitterly as soon as Luke answered the phone.

“Huh?” Luke responded confused.

“Hell just froze over. You still got that phone number?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo I updated the tags. There will be mentions of Blake and others in the next chapter. But not to fear! Adam will return very soon!
> 
> I know the next two chapters are shorter than usual but I'll try to make the last few longer. Not much longer to go!


	30. Chapter 30

If Blake had thought his previous experience with dating was bad, that was nothing compared to the shit show of his friends trying to set him up. He began to genuinely question how well his sister and friends truly knew him. In fact, he was pretty sure they may actually hate him. That was the only explanation for the dates that followed over the next months.

Blake was convinced that the main reason he and Luke had stayed friends throughout their awkward teenage years is because they had both very different tastes in girls and never ended up fighting over who got to ask someone out. Not that either of them ever did get around to the asking out part, but the point still stands. He didn’t know why he thought this would’ve changed now that they were adults. He only had himself to blame.

“Shakira?” Blake asked.

“Shakira.” The woman confirmed with a smile. 

Shakira was hot. He would have to be blind not to see that. She was probably the most attractive person he had ever met in his entire life. She was a pharmaceutical rep who also taught advanced salsa lessons on the weekends, and it took everything in him not to ask how Luke had met her and why he didn’t ask her out himself. No matter, because Blake soon found out the answer to both of those questions. Not only was she gorgeous, she was terrifyingly smart. Blake found himself trying not to sound like an idiot every time he opened his mouth around her. Then he found himself trying not to look like an idiot for an entirely different reason when she suggested they go dancing after dinner. 

He tried to tell her he was a bad dancer but she insisted that she’d never met anyone who was truly hopeless, even counting Luke who had taken one of her classes. Well, she’d never met Blake before. He was almost a foot and a half taller than her and he was convinced they looked as ridiculous together as he felt. He was like an oversized mannequin being manipulated into various positions while she tugged and pushed his hips into an awkward and somewhat painful rhythm. It was a miracle he didn’t trample all over her or anyone else. He managed to wince his way through one full song before pretending to pull a muscle on the dance floor and apologize as he called them both separate cabs. She gave him a recommendation for something to take for the pain that they both knew was bullshit. Bless her for not calling him out on it. 

It didn’t take long for the news of his failed date to reach his friends in Oklahoma. Brad and Kimberly hadn’t wasted any time at all to push a woman on him named Kellie, with an “ie” she made sure to let him know. It took some convincing as he wasn’t that comfortable dating someone with the same name as his sister; different spelling notwithstanding. She was really sweet, but apparently was really really into reality tv. Blake didn’t watch much tv, finding his own reality awful enough that he didn’t care to see how much better or worse other people had it. It was her dream to have her own tv show one day. At one point she pulled out her phone and started recording her commentary on the date while sitting right in front of him. Apparently he was kind of cute but way too tall. They had only just gotten their starters. 

The next date he went on didn’t go much better. Jason set him up with a woman named Shania who was beautiful and a bit older than Blake, but made him feel like he was ten years old. They ended up meeting up for coffee since she shot down all of the dinner places he’d suggested. Shania, as it turned out, was an extreme adrenaline junkie. She told Blake stories about the crazy things she’d done, people she’d met, and places she’d been to. Half of which he was sure were definitely illegal. Blake found himself making up stories about his own life to try and impress her. Either she saw right through him or just didn’t care because at one point he saw her hide a yawn behind a napkin. That did wonders for his ego. He knew he needed to bring their date to an end when they walked out of the coffee house and saw someone leave their car running in front to go in and grab their drink. He almost suggested that they steal it just to see how she’d react. However, judging by the expression she made at the car itself, he knew that wouldn’t have done much for her either. 

Then there was Brett. His sister had been talkin’ this guy up to him for a month before he finally agreed to one dinner. He was a nice guy, cute and just about as tall as Blake which was a nice change. Not that he had anything against people on the shorter side, but the last three dates he’d been on had him practically bent in half just to talk to them. Dinner was going well enough, but when he found out that Brett was a musician he had to stop himself from ending the date immediately. After his ex-wife and now Adam, he’d had his fill of musicians for one lifetime. 

Kelly should’ve told him, but knew it wasn’t Brett’s fault so he decided he wasn’t going to be a dick about it and smile politely through the date and do his best to be interested in hearing about his life as a musician. Apparently he used to play guitar in a band at a Casino where he met Kelly when she drunkenly got up on the stage for an impromptu performance. She was immediately kicked out and banned from the casino while managing to lose track of her friends. Brett found her standing outside on the sidewalk and made sure she got back to her hotel safely much to Blake’s relief hearing the story told back to him. He moved to Nashville about 6 months ago to try to make a go of being a solo artist and hadn’t looked back since.

He was really attractive, and seemed interested in his shop and hearing stories about growing up with Kelly. He had a nice laugh and a nicer sounding singing voice when he hummed a bit of Baby, It’s Cold Outside on the way to the bar after dinner. It was 80 degrees outside, but he wasn’t about to bring that up. Then there was the fact that he was also about ten years older than the man. With Blake’s birthday in a week he wasn’t far off from 40, so the idea of being with someone still in their late 20s made him feel a bit like a dirty old man.

Brett didn’t seem to have those same reservations because he didn’t hesitate to press Blake against the wall near the bar bathroom and kiss him. Blake’s entire body froze at the feeling. Brett had pulled back and asked if he was okay and instead of responding verbally, Blake had just nodded and leaned in to kiss him again. He forced himself not to notice how wrong it felt. The way he smelled, the way he kissed, the way this unfamiliar body felt pressed against him. He really should put a stop to this immediately.

“Wanna get out of here?” Brett asked suggestively and Blake nodded instead.

They made it all the way back to Brett’s apartment and Blake was convinced this was fine. He was ready for this. The apartment was dark when Brett pushed him back against the door and Blake groaned and pulled his hips into him. His body didn’t seem to be having the same issues that his brain was. 

“I wanna ride you like a sleigh.” Brett whispered and Blake looked at him puzzled, but nodded dumbly and followed him in the direction of the bedroom. He hadn’t turned on the light and Blake let out a startled yelp when he tripped over something and music started to play. Not just any music. It sounded like a toy was singing “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” 

“Sorry about that. I must’ve knocked him over on my way out tonight.” Brett turned on the light, picked up the little toy elf and put it back on the table. Blake looked around at the room in stunned silence. There were Christmas decorations everywhere, on every surface. Tinsel, garland, statues and a big tree in the corner. It was like the North Pole had relocated to a one bedroom apartment in Nashville.

“Nice place.” Blake cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I really like Christmas.” Brett walked over to him with a smile and kissed him on the lips. “C’mon.” He said as he grabbed Blake’s hand and brought him to his bedroom.

Blake cautiously followed and, yeah, it wasn’t any less weird in there either. Hung on the wall above the bed was a sign pointing down that says “Santa, Stop Here!’ and Blake had no idea what the hell to even make of that. Blake tried his best not to make eyes with the elf on the shelf resting on his bedside table as he sat down on the bed. He felt his arousal wane drastically in the last several minutes but Brett was doing something to his neck that was peaking his interest again. 

_Keep your eyes closed. He’s hot. You can do this._

Blake squeezed his eyes tighter when he felt Brett’s fingers graze the bare skin just below his t-shirt. He tried not to think of a different hand with similar calluses. Brett stood up and Blake opened his eyes to watch as he pulled his shirt and jeans off to reveal boxers that said “Naughty and Nice” all over them. Blake tried not to laugh at how ridiculous this entire situation was. Brett must’ve taken his smile as interest because he then crawled back on the bed and unbuttoned Blake’s jeans.

“I really like your beard.” Brett kissed his jaw and ran his hands down to rub against Blake’s stomach. “You think about growing it out?”

“Some...sometimes.” Blake stuttered. 

“Mmmhmmm.” Brett nodded appreciatively. That was fine. He was into beards. That was a normal thing. Didn’t mean anything. 

It wasn’t until he pulled out a condom that looked like a candy cane that Blake stood up completely, muttering that he was deathly allergic to peppermint and he felt like he was going into anaphylactic shock just being around it and that he needed to go immediately. He buttoned up his jeans and for the first time since P.E. class in the 9th grade, he ran. 

He made it two blocks before he stopped to catch his breath. Once his lungs stopped burning he pulled out his phone and immediately called Kelly. He didn’t let her get more than a word in before he started yelling about what had just happened.

“There’s nothing wrong with liking Christmas, Blake.” Kelly said calmly. “You like Christmas.” She reminded him.

“IT’S THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, KELLY!” Blake shouted. “He asked me if I wanted to grow out my beard and rubbed my stomach. I’m pretty sure he was implying that he wanted to be fucked by Santa Claus.”

A group of people standing on the street nearby looked over at Blake with confusion. He mouthed “Sorry” and turned away to quickly cross the street.

“How was the date otherwise?” Kelly asked like Blake hadn’t just told her an extremely insane fact about one of her friends. She better not have already known about this and had kept it from him. He wouldn’t put it past her. 

“Irrelevant!” Blake said sharply. 

“Sorry for trying to help.” Kelly said sarcastically. 

“I’ve got it from here, thanks.” Blake hung up before she could respond.

Blake was furious. There was nothing wrong with being alone. He didn’t need to date to get over Adam because he was pretty damn over him. Blake took a deep breath. He felt keyed up and really needed to get his energy out. He walked over to the first bar he could find and ordered two shots of tequila. If you’d asked him the next morning, he couldn’t tell you what they talked about when the attractive man with hazel eyes came up to him with a flirtatious smile, but he didn’t care much either. What he did remember is that it didn’t take long before Blake dragged him into the bathroom and he was getting blown with his eyes tightly shut and one hand holding a broken stall door closed. 

Blake half-heartedly offered to return the favor but they were interrupted by someone entering the stall next to them. He didn’t complain when Blake kissed him through a sloppy hand job instead. Afterwards, the man took a pen out of his back pocket and tore a corner off the advertisement taped to the stall door and wrote his name and number underneath it. Blake gave him a tight smile and took the number, but did not offer his own in return. He waited until he left the bathroom before promptly crumbling it in his hand and flushing it. 

By the time he got home he immediately jumped into a scalding hot shower before running a towel over his head and crawling into bed. He was never going on another date again for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really know nothing about Brett E. other than my search tells me that he seems to really like Christmas. I googled random photos of dudes Blake has kissed to throw in here so sorry, bro. I really hope you don't google your name and Christmas if this shows up. 
> 
> There were also three, not so hidden, song references in the dates with Shakira and Shania. 
> 
> Adam returns in the next (much longer) chapter!


	31. Chapter 31

Blake finished his second Jack and Diet Coke of the night and smiled over at the group of drunken idiots sitting around the table with him. Kelly, Brad and Kimberly all flew in for Luke’s birthday and after having some of the best steaks the city had to offer they decided to hit the bar for more drinks. After which they’d likely hit the rib place because something about being drunk and eating ribs just made sense. He absolutely refused to think about the fact that he hadn’t been there since he went with Adam. Not going there. This night wasn’t about him. It was about Luke and after all the drama he’d put him through in the last eight months, he deserved a night all about him.

That was the plan anyway until the energy changed in the crowded bar. His friends and sister were all busy doing shots, but Blake knew something was different. He turned his head towards the door and felt his breath leave his lungs. Adam had just entered the bar and was immediately swarmed by a small group of drunken college kids. The idiot didn’t even bother trying to disguise himself. He was politely saying hello but looked like he was declining photos. Blake’s eyes scanned around him trying to spot his girlfriend, but it looked like he was here alone. Blake watched from the corner of his eye for a few minutes as he managed to escape the group who went back to their drinks. 

Adam’s eyes were searching the bar and Blake willed himself not to look away when their eyes met. He felt like he’d been stabbed in the chest, but did his best not to show it. Looking at Adam all he could see was the look on his face when he accused Blake of selling him out. This was then immediately followed by the memory of the photos in those stupid magazines that he couldn’t escape from. Adam had moved on and was happy now. He had no right to feel betrayed because they were never together, not really. Blake schooled his face into one of indifference and felt a slight victory at the way Adam flinched in response.

Adam looked over at the rest of Blake’s table and hesitated to move any closer. He glanced over at the back door for a moment and then silently pleaded with Blake to follow him. Blake looked over at his friends who hadn’t seemed to notice the events that were taking place around them. For a brief moment he considered ignoring Adam altogether. Adam moved on and he had as well. He didn’t owe him anything. But then Brad looked up and nodded his head towards the door Adam had just gone through. Okay so maybe one of them was not so oblivious. Blake stood up and announced he was going to the bathroom and he’d be right back which was followed up by a tispy Kelly yelling, “Who fucking cares?” as she slammed back a shot of vodka. Bless her heart.

Blake thought about finishing his shot before he went out there but decided that he was just tipsy enough to hear what Adam had to say without making a complete ass of himself. He took a breath and made his way to the back of the bar and pushed the door to the alley way open. Adam stood with his arms wrapped around his middle and looked relieved to see that Blake had actually come. 

“Hey, Blake.” Adam said cautiously. 

“How’d you know I was here?” Blake asked, cutting directly to the chase. 

“I went to your apartment first.” Adam said. “Before I could get out of the car I saw you get into your truck with Luke and I followed you here.” Adam paused and made a face. “God that sounds so fucking creepy. I’m not stalking you, I just really wanted to get you alone for a minute and talk to you. I spent the last hour in my car working up the nerve to come in after you.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Here I am. You’ve got me alone.” Blake leaned against the brick wall and waited for Adam to continue.

“I said some really shitty things to you. My mom would be mortified.” Adam said with a pained look on his face. Blake said nothing just continued to stare at him.

“I owe you an explanation. The photos… Carson looked into it and we found the person who leaked the photos. He saw us that day we were in Walmart. He hacked you from the airdrop when he knocked into you.”

“I know.” Blake finally said.

“You know?” Adam looked confused.

“My phone was acting up not long after I got back and when I took it in to get serviced they told me it had been compromised.” Blake explained. He should’ve realized something was wrong much sooner when he found a random photo of a dog in his camera roll that he had never seen before. Though he never did claim to be a smart man. A smart man never would have gotten himself involved with Adam in the first place. 

He could remember the feeling of overwhelming relief when the service technician in Nashville told him that his phone had been hacked. If he wasn’t sitting on a chair his legs would’ve given out. The poor man looked so confused. He couldn’t understand why someone getting hacked was a good thing and Blake hadn’t bothered to explain it. 

With that feeling of relief came an overwhelming sense of sadness as well. He had done nothing to betray Adam’s trust and yet Adam didn’t hesitate to think the worst of him. After everything that had happened, all of their conversations, the things they’d done with each other, telling each other their most intimate secrets, Adam still didn’t trust Blake enough to believe him or hear him out. He had to wait for someone else to confirm it for him. That hurt more than every word that had come out of his mouth that day. 

“That and the kid called me.” Blake continued, much to Adam’s confusion. “When did you figure it out?” Blake asked curiously.

“Carson has some questionable connections.” Adam said but then shook his head quickly. “What do you mean the kid called you?”

“It’s a small town, Adam.” Blake said with a shrug. Adam looked like he had a million questions but couldn’t decide which to ask first. “Remember that day we were drivin’ back from the store and you saw that double rainbow and made me pull over so you could take a picture of it?”

“Yeah…?” Adam had lost his mind when he saw it. He took at least 50 pictures before taking the perfect one and posting it on Instagram with the caption ‘Double Rainbow Muthafuckaaaa!’ 

“Do you still have it?” Blake asked. Adam pulled out his phone and pulled it up on Instagram and held his phone up to show him. “Bottom right corner.” 

Adam looked at the photo closer and saw a cut off water tower in the very bottom corner. The letters **_“MURR STA COLL”_** were visible. He furrowed his eyebrows as he said it aloud.

“Murray State College.” Blake said. “Apparently this kid in Dallas had a friend who goes there and recognized it. He called his friend up tellin’ him you were in town and basically since nothin’ ever happens in Tishomingo, they decided to go lookin’ for you.”

“What the fuck.” Adam looked down at his phone and back at Blake. He’d only gotten from Carson that some kid hacked Blake’s phone through airdrop, not the rest of it.

“They saw us that morning we stopped at Trace’s to get you clothes to wear for the ATV’s and followed us to the Walmart. When one of them knocked into me I must’ve accepted a picture that had a virus or somethin’ in it.”

“God. Now I feel even more like shit than I already do.” Adam did look genuinely upset with this news. “If I hadn’t made you pull over, or if I’d just worn those stupidly huge coveralls you already had none of this would’ve ever happened.” Adam ranted to himself more than anything.

“A month after my phone was fixed I got a call from the kid. His momma found out about it, from Carson or whoever I guess, and made them donate the money they made off the pictures. She apparently goes to church with Jason and he gave her my number and made them apologize.” Blake barely remembered the call. After hearing the details he had pretty much zoned out for the apology. “Like I said, small town.” Blake looked back at the door and wondered how much longer this conversation was going to last. Brad would probably come looking for him soon enough.

“Fuck, man. I’m sorry. For what I said, and fucking off the way I did. I know this won’t fix everything.” Adam said, running his hands through his hair.

_That’s for sure._

“I need you to know I was never ashamed of you. Not for one second. All I could think about wasn’t that there were pictures out there of me with another man, because it wouldn’t be the first time. I was just so shocked by the pictures being out there and at the time it didn’t occur to me that it could’ve been leaked by anyone else. But I was wrong. I know you’d never hurt me like that. I should’ve given you the benefit of the doubt. You never gave me any reason not to trust you.” Adam rushed out. 

Blake looked at him and waited for him to continue. He wasn’t about to open his mouth and say something stupid like how much he missed him and how he wished everything was different. Too much has happened in the last 8 months. 

“I have a hard time trusting people. I’ve been hurt more times than I care to remember by people I thought were my friends, and then I went and did the same shit to you. I never meant to hurt you, Blake. You have to believe me.” Adam practically begged.

The thing is, he did believe him. It just didn’t matter anymore. It had taken him months to come to terms with Adam’s accusations and lack of trust in him. Even now there were still too many questions. If Adam had known months ago that it wasn’t Blake’s fault why now? Why wait until tonight to say something? He didn’t bother to ask as he wasn’t sure knowing those answers would make it better or worse. 

“At first I thought you were just into me because of the whole…“ Adam waved his hand around as if trying to find the right words.

“Rockstar thing?” Blake finished, his lip curling just barely in amusement and completely against his will.

“Exactly!” Adam smiled back. “Your awkwardness was so sincere that I just wanted to know everything about you. I wanted to see you blush and make you laugh and eat steak with you and just be around you. All the damn time. That’s not normal for me. I purposely don’t get attached to people. I honestly felt for the first time in fucking years that here’s the amazing, hilarious, sasquatch of a guy and he actually likes me.”

“I did.” Blake nods in agreement.

“You did?” Adam’s face fell as the past tense. 

“I do.” Blake admitted reluctantly. “I do like you Adam. More than I should. It’s just...”

“It’s not JUST!” Adam took a step closer to Blake.

“But it is though. This could never work. You’re this big untouchable… something and I’m not. I’m not anything. This is all I’ll ever be.” He said with a shrug.

“That’s not true. You know that’s not true. Not to me.” Adam’s eyes were pleading with him but he just couldn’t do this again. He couldn’t be with someone who couldn’t trust him. It was too much of a risk and on top of that there was the whole Adam being in a relationship thing. 

“I know it’s insane and you never asked for any of this. But it’s just a job. And I’m just a guy. With the same wants and needs as anyone else.”

_Why did he have to make this so hard?_

Blake didn’t know what to believe anymore. Adam was standing in front of him looking at him like he was everything he ever wanted, but watching him on TMZ several months ago, a photographer asked Adam about Blake and the photos and he responded that Blake was _“No one.”_

“I don’t think I could take another heartbreak, Adam. It’s inevitable.”

“I really don’t want to lose you, man. Your friendship means everything to me and I fucked up. I fucked up so hard, and I’m so fucking sorry.“ Blake nodded but didn’t say anything. “I just… I don’t think I could stand it knowing you thought I was a shitty person or that you hated me.”

“I don’t think that.” Blake said softly, looking down at the crushed cigarette butts at his feet. 

“You don’t?” Adam’s voice sounded so small. He hated the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

“I don’t think of you at all.” He looked up into Adam’s eyes, keeping every bit of emotion out of his voice and expression. Adam looked at him like his favorite pet had just died and Blake should’ve been happy, but all he felt was numb. 

“Well... I fucking deserve that.” He gave a sad smile that didn’t come close to meeting his eyes.

Part of Blake wanted to immediately apologize and tell him that it wasn’t true and that he didn’t deserve it. He’s thought about him every damn day since he walked out of Blake’s life. The other part of him, the heartbroken idiot who had more than a few drinks in him, wanted Adam to hurt like he was. Judging by the expression on Adam’s face: mission accomplished. 

“I should be gettin’ back.” Blake stepped away from the wall. “It’s Luke’s birthday.” 

“Yeah, of course. I get it.” Adam had a strange expression on his face at the mention of Luke’s name. He was almost tempted to ask but decided it would be safer to just end the conversation now and get back to his friends.

Blake started to turn away but Adam stepped forward and grabbed Blake’s forearm through his flannel. When he saw the grimace on Blake’s face he let go of him immediately like he’d been burned.

“Blake, wait...” Adam reached into his front pocket and pulled out a usb flash drive. “I pushed to have this on the album, but the label wouldn’t go for it. Said it didn’t fit with the other songs or some shit, but I couldn’t really explain why it did without making more of an idiot of myself.” Blake looked at the drive but didn’t move to take it.

“Please.” Adam shuffled uncomfortably. The longer they stood there the more Blake wanted another drink. Deciding to just get it over with, Blake put his hand out and Adam placed it gently in his hand. “Thank you.” He said in relief. 

Blake put it in his pocket and opened the door. The loud sounds of music and people talking spilled out into the alley.

“Listen to it.” Adam blurted out. “At least once before throwing it out.”

“It was nice seein’ you, Adam.” Blake said sincerely and walked back into the bar. He didn’t wait for a response. 

Blake walked through the sea of people and sat back down next to his friends. Brad gave him a look of concern, but Blake shook his head subtly. They’d probably talk about it later. Now was not the time. 

“The hell took you so long?” Luke slurred at him. 

“Nothin’! Just mind your damn business.” Blake rubbed his forearm where Adam had grabbed him softly. 

“I can’t believe you got another tattoo, you fuckin’ idiot.” Luke laughed at him. Brad, Kimberly and Kelly turned to look at Blake so fast it was almost comical. Their eyes were blown wide in surprise.

“Get the hell out! Is that why you’re wearing a long sleeve shirt in the middle of freakin’ July? Let me see!” Kelly reached for Blake’s arm and he pulled it back quickly. 

“Can you stop. There’s nothin’ to see.” Blake said with a frown.

“Oh, he’s totally lyin’.” Luke pointed at him. “He got barbed wire goin’ ‘round it!” Luke circled his own arm with his finger through his drunken laughter.

“Don’t be a dick, Blake! Show us your damn tattoo.” Kelly demanded. 

“Come on, Blake! Show it! Show!” Kimberly chanted along with Luke and Kelly.

Blake looked over to Brad for some help but his friend looked equally curious and began to chant along with the rest of them. He really needed to get himself some new friends.

“Fine. Fine!” Blake put his hands up. “Just shut up for a minute. You all look like a bunch of jackasses right now.”

He started to unbutton his shirt at the cuff and began to roll it up his forearm slowly so as not to irritate the tender skin.It was still pretty red as it was less than a week old. They all leaned in and he held his arm out for their inspection. 

“Huh.” Kimberly said with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” Blake asked hesitantly. 

“It’s not that bad, actually.” She decided.

“I was expecting a lot worse to be honest.” Brad agreed. 

“It definitely takes away from the stupidity of the deer tracks, that’s for damn sure.” Kelly said and Luke nodded in agreement. Blake looked down at the fresh ink surrounding the tracks before rolling his shirt back down.

It had been on his mind for months, but when he came across the photo on his phone a week ago he may have gotten a bit drunk and walked into a tattoo shop and showed the guy the photo and said “I want this.”

The tattoo artist refused at first since he wouldn’t ink anyone who had been drinking. So Blake went and bought a 2 liter of water and sat in the waiting room for over 2 hours before completely sobering up. He looked at the photo again and decided that, yeah, he still wanted it.

_They were stretched out on Blake’s bed after a long, hot shower. Normally he’d cringe at wet hair on his pillows but they were both tired and the feeling of Adam pressed against his side running his finger along the tattoo on Blake's arm felt amazing._

_“What even is this? I’ve been trying to figure it out since the day we met.” Adam looked at Blake’s tattoo with curiosity._

_“They’re deer tracks.” Blake explained._

_“Hmmm.” Adam nodded. “Don’t really look like deer tracks.”_

_“How the hell would you know? Have you ever seen a deer before in your life outside a zoo?” Adam rolled his eyes and did not dignify that with a response._

_“I got this on my eighteenth birthday. My momma would’ve beat me something good if she saw it a day before then. I drew it on a sheet of paper and drove 40 minutes to the nearest shop and had him do it on the spot.” Blake looked down at the ink that circled his left arm. It did look pretty stupid._

_“You ever think about getting any more.” Adam asked._

_“Nah. Not really.” Adam stared at Blake’s arm, tilting his head in thought._

_He leaned over to the table next to Blake’s bed where he left his notebook and a pen. He clicked the back of the gel pen and started to draw on Blake’s arm._

_“What’re you doin’?” Blake asked but didn’t pull away at the slight tickling sensation of the pen moving across his skin. Adam didn’t answer and kept drawing until he circled the entire arm. He pulled back to admire his handy work. Blake tried not to shiver when Adam blew on the ink to dry it._

_“Don’t move too much or you’ll smudge it.” Blake looked down and lifted his arm to see what Adam had done. He raised his eyebrows at the barbed wire on either side of the deer tracks that now circled his forearm._

_“Okay. I’ll admit it. That does look badass.” He moved his arm around to inspect it further and, just in case it got ruined, grabbed his phone to take a picture of it. Blake put his arm back down, being careful not to smudge the ink._

_“I told you!” Adam said smugly._

_“Yeah yeah” Blake responded._

_“You should listen to me more. If you’d let me take you clothes shopping when we get back I’d make you look like the fairest redneck in all the land.”_

_“You’re such an ass.” Blake laughed._

_“Mmm, yeah.” Adam leaned in to kiss him. “Keep talking about my ass.” Adam crawled on top of him and licked into Blake’s mouth. Blake leaned up into him and roughly grabbed a firm handful. He was nothing if not accommodating._

“Well, now that we’ve all witnessed the beginning of Blake’s midlife crisis…” Luke stood up. “Ribs?” He asked the table.

“RIBS!” They all collectively shouted. Blake downed his own neglected shot and tried to ignore the flash drive pressing against his thigh in his pocket, and all thoughts of Adam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The how of him getting hacked was never really that important in my head. It was always the betrayal more than anything else. Blake is a stubborn idiot who thinks he's doing the right thing by pushing him away, but Adam won't give up so easily! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting!


	32. Chapter 32

“I don’t smoke cigarettes.” Blake broke the silence as the song ended. It was almost midnight and they all sat in Luke’s living room, a laptop opened on the coffee table in front of them .

“He probably just needed a clever line.” Kelly suggested as the song started over for a fourth time.

“Why write the song at all? Why not just come talk to me?” Blake pulled at his hair. “It’s been 8 months and NOW he shows up? Out of nowhere with a song and an apology?”

“Well… actually.” Luke said hesitantly from the other end of the room.

“Well, actually WHAT, Luke?” Blake snapped. Brad leaned forward to hit pause on the laptop. A tense silence filled the room. 

“Remember that night you got super drunk and talked my ear off all night about how Adam was the worst mistake you ever made? And then came into work super hung over the next day?” Luke asked.

“No.” Blake said sharply.

“When you went to lie down in the back because of your huge hangover I saw him lurking outside the store. So I went out there.” Luke continued.

“You didn’t.” Kelly slapped his arm. Luke winced and rubbed the spot she hit with her ring.

“Hey! He was pretty fucked up after everything and I was being a friend!” Luke ducked away from Kelly’s hand again.

_Blake was standing in the front of the store, staring blankly out at the street in front of him. Luke had been trying to get him to come in for the last hour. It was freezing outside and Blake wasn’t wearing anything other than a flannel button down. It was probably the heroic amounts of alcohol he had the night before still in his system keeping him warm. He had a pretty bad hangover and said the cold air made him feel better._

_Luke looked out the window and his eyes widened at the figure he saw lurking across the street. He wasn’t even sure whether or not Blake had spotted him, but Luke certainly did. Luke knocked on the window and Blake winced and grabbed his head. He turned and rolled his eyes before coming back into the store._

_“You’re a fuckin’ mess, Blake. Go sleep it off in the back.” Luke said firmly. Blake gave him the middle finger but did not argue. He walked slowly to his office where his old cot was still set up._

_Luke looked back out the window and quickly went to grab his coat before he paused. He walked to the closet and grabbed Blake’s denim jacket and threw it on quickly instead. He knew it was a dick move considering what Blake had told him about the jacket and Adam but he didn’t give a single shit. He took a calming breath before walking quietly out of the store so as not to alert Blake. Adam looked up as he saw Luke walk out the door and stepped toward him._

_“Hey. You’re Luke, right? I’m...” Luke raised his hand to block him from moving further._

_“Stop right there.” Adam looked confused but did as he was told. “You shouldn’t be coming around here. Blake doesn’t want to see you.”_

_“Look, I know I fucked up, but if I could just talk to him and explain...” Adam looked at Luke desperately._

_“You’re right. You did fuck up." Luke cut him off again. "And I didn’t spend all morning getting him out of bed for you to come back here and…”_

_“Oh.” Adam interrupted. He looked genuinely taken aback. Luke watched with a small sense of joy as Adam’s eyes lowered to the jacket Luke was wearing. He frowned for a brief moment but just long enough for Luke to clock it. Got him. “You two are…”_

_“Yeah. We are!” Luke nodded. “And you need to leave him the hell alone.”_

_“Right.” Adam looked behind Luke at the door and then down at his feet. “Right.” He looked lost as he started to back away towards his car._

_“I am sorry.” He gave one last look to Luke. “I just wanted him to know.”_

_“I’ll be sure to pass along the message.” Luke responded sarcastically. He watched as Adam got into his car and drove away._

Blake stared at Luke while everyone sat quietly around the table. They could feel the fury radiating off of Blake and no one wanted to be the first to speak.

“When?” Blake bit out. 

Luke’s face scrunched up. “Five months ago.”

The two men jumped up out of their seats simultaneously and started yelling over each other at full volume.

“HOW THE HELL COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?”

“I BET HE WAS REAL DAMN SORRY WITH HIS MODELS IN HIS MANSION! I DID YOU A FAVOR!”

“WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

“YOU WERE A GOD DAMN WRECK AND I WASN’T ABOUT TO LET HIM MAKE IT WORSE!”

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKIN’ ABOUT!”

“LISTEN, OLD MAN!” 

“OLD?” Blake sputtered. “I AM ONLY 28 DAYS OLDER THAN **_YOU!_** ”

“AND LOOK AT THE STATE OF YOU!”

“WHAT THE HELL’S THAT MEAN?”

“Whoa. Whoa!” Kelly stood in between the two glaring friends. “You need to calm the hell down right now.” They looked over at her, both breathing heavily, faces red from yelling. “God, y’all really are two halves of a whole idiot, d'ya know that?”

“Kelly’s right.” Brad spoke up. They both looked over at Brad equally offended. “You’ve been friends all your lives. You can’t let this get in the way of that.”

“A _**friend**_ ,” Blake said with more than a hint of sarcasm “wouldn’t keep something like this from me.”

“A friend who was worried that you’d ruin your life or drink yourself to death over some guy who didn’t care enough about you to hear your side of the story would, actually.” Luke crossed his arms. Blake felt the anger drain out of him. Luke sensed this and felt his own anger subside.

“I’m sorry.” Luke walked over and grabbed Blake's shoulder roughly. “You’re like a brother to me and I hated seeing what this did to you.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Blake said. “I know I’ve been the easiest person to be around…”

“When were you ever?” Luke joked. And just like that, the tension seemed to have disappeared. They spent the rest of the night laughing and joking and by the time Brad cornered him on Luke’s patio after everyone had gone to sleep, Blake couldn’t find the energy to tell his friend to go away.

“So…” Brad sat down on a chair across from Blake. “Are you going to see him again?” Brad asked curiously.

“I don’t think so.” Blake shook his head. “He apologized for everything and said my friendship means a lot to him, and that I mean a lot to him, but…”

“But?” Brad gave him an encouraging look.

“I don’t know.” Blake said tiredly. “I think he just feels guilty about everything and just wants my forgiveness.”

“Do you?" Brad asked. "Forgive him?” Blake gave some consideration to the question. He’d asked himself that very thing multiple times over the last few months.

“Yeah, probably. I get why he reacted the way he did but it still hurt.” Brad nodded but didn’t say anything. “And the worst part of it all is that I might be more mad at myself than anything else. I knew it before I invited him to stay with me that it was going to be a mistake. I knew it! And I went and did it anyway. I ignored every part of me that said don’t get involved, because I wanted him and then when I had him I thought all that other stuff wouldn’t matter.”

“Do you still want to be with him though? If you could?” Brad asked after a long silence.

“He’s got a girlfriend. I’ve seen pictures and he looked happy. I don’t think I could make him happy in the long run.”

“I disagree. He looked pretty damn happy when I saw you two together. You both did.”

“It’s over.” Blake said firmly. Brad nodded, sensing that he wasn’t going to get much out of him.

“I’m gonna go crash before my wife comes lookin’ for me.” Brad stood up and mussed up Blake’s hair much to his annoyance. “Don’t stay up too late. Try to get some sleep, Toad.”

“Will you ever stop callin’ me that?” Blake asked after him.

“Nope.” Brad said with a grin as he slid the sliding door closed behind him. 

Blake sat outside for another half hour before quietly making his way back into the house, careful not to disturb Kelly asleep on the couch. He grabbed the laptop, and a pair of headphones that were lying on the counter next to Luke’s phone and car keys. He looked around at the quiet house, listening for any sounds of movement. Confident that everyone was asleep he sat down on the recliner and rested the computer on his lap. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and hit resume play as Adam's vocals filled his ears.

_Do you still wear that denim jacket?  
I let you get away  
I let you get away  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't have been more obvious what the song was, but congrats to those who guessed anyway!
> 
> Poor Luke. Just trying to help, but possibly made things worse. 
> 
> Thanks for your patience. Still hopeful that this will be completed before 2021!


	33. Chapter 33

Blake felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and debated shutting it off entirely. It was probably just Luke calling again. Or possibly Kelly. He promised to call her back two days ago so it’s only a matter of time before she decides to show up at his house, metaphorical guns blazing.

In a spur of the moment decision, he decided to fly back to Oklahoma with Kelly, Brad, and Kimberly. He told Luke that he needed to take care of some maintenance and business and that it could take a while. Luke seemed a bit suspicious of what possible business he could have in Tishomingo but agreed to watch over the shop for a few days.

A few days turned into two weeks, and before he knew it he was standing in his kitchen and a month had gone by and he was surrounded by half filled boxes. After some soul searching Blake decided that it was time to let his ranch go. He spent most of his time in Nashville and it just didn’t make financial sense anymore to keep it. The property taxes weren’t too much, but the maintenance and upkeep were quietly bleeding him.

Luke had suggested a few years ago that he should use it as an AirBNB, but the only people who ever came to Tishomingo either already lived there, or were staying with someone they knew. Kelly had more than enough space if he wanted to come and visit. He finished packing up a box marked for donation and made his way into his bedroom, lowering himself slowly onto the bed with a wince. All that bending was not kind to his lower back. He laid down and ignored the buzzing of his phone for the fourth time that day.

Rolling over, Blake stared at the empty space next to him on the bed. He finally understood why he was given this property in the first place. Everywhere he looked, all he could see was Adam. He had done a good enough job of ignoring that tight feeling in his chest until a week ago when he decided to go out drinking with Trace and Jason.

Jason being the dick that he was, kept making jokes about how Blake couldn’t close the deal with any of the people they’d set him up with. Trace didn’t say much but Blake could see the disapproval all over his face. Whether he was displeased with Blake or Jason, he wasn’t about to ask. It didn’t escape his notice that Trace kept quietly ordering refills for them.

It was barely midnight when Trace dragged his smashed ass out of his truck and into his house. Blake could barely remember how he got there, but he could remember Trace mentioning something about how he should “shit or get off the pot” when it came to what he was going to do about “that boy” because… and he couldn’t remember anything else after that.

What he did remember was waking up with a horrific hangover and determination to “get off the pot” so to speak. At least when it came to what the hell he was going to do with his life. He listened to Adam’s song one more time before deleting it off his phone. He didn’t need to hear it again. He’d come to accept that Adam’s guilt was genuine and that he honestly didn’t mean to hurt Blake. He’d moved on and now so would Blake. He spent the rest of the day on the phone with a realtor and showing her around his property. His intent was to get rid of it as soon as possible.

He didn’t plan on staying in town much longer. He had a few people lined up to check out the property and -- “Shit!” Blake pulled his phone out and cursed again as he saw the last call and text were from the realtor. He hurriedly called her back and apologized profusely when she answered.

“Hey, it’s Blake. Sorry about the missed calls; I had my phone off.” They discussed the potential buyers, went over Blake’s asking price again, and worked out the best times for showing the place.

He hung up the phone and frowned at the caller ID showing “Blocked” on the incoming call. He debated letting it go to voicemail, but he didn’t want to miss a potential buyer if he didn’t have a number to call them back. He answered the phone and immediately regretted every decision in his life. It was Kelly.

“I knew you were ignoring my calls!” Kelly shouted. _Damn that woman._ “I can’t believe I had to hide my number to get you on the damn phone. What if I was dead?”

“Well, we wouldn’t be having this conversation that’s for sure.” Blake rolled his eyes.

She was upset he was ignoring her calls. She was pissed when he told her that he was selling the ranch. She was almost apoplectic when he told her how much he was planning on selling it for.

“Do you have any idea how stupid it would be to let real estate like this go? And for what?” She shouted at him.

“You don’t get it, Kelly.” Blake signed.

“You think I never had my heart broken? We’ve all been walkin’ around eggshells with you for the last year and honestly I’m tired. You’re being a dumb ass and it needs to stop right now.”

_Yeah, that’s what he was tryin’ to do._

“Well, dumb ass or not, this is all in my name and it’s not really up to you what I choose to do with it.” Blake shot back.

“Why not just burn it down then? If you don’t care about the money?”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought of it.” Blake mumbled under his breath. Not like it mattered, Kelly had ears like a bat. “Putting everything else aside, I never come here anymore. It costs me too much to maintain. It’s bleedin’ me dry, Kelly!”

“Then sell it to me. Or Trace.” Kelly suggested.

“No.” Blake shook his head. “My mind is made up.” Knowing that she was not going to get through to him she hung up the phone telling him that they’d “discuss it later.”

How could he possibly explain to Kelly, or Luke, or any of them that this wasn’t just a broken heart. He told Adam things he’d never told anyone ever. He felt things with him that he’d never felt for anyone in his life. After Adam walked out the door it felt like he took that part of Blake with him and it was eating him up from the inside. Every failed date just reminded him how wrong everything felt. He knew it was stupid to think he could never feel that way about anyone again, but right now, it sure as hell did.

_Christ, he felt like a character in one of those movies that Kelly used to watch all the damn time._

He needed a fresh start and the money that came with selling wouldn’t hurt either. Getting his mind back on track, Blake pulled out some boxes and made his way to the garage and started packing things up. He made three piles; one to keep, one to trash, and one to donate. It took him another two days but he was able to fully pack up the garage, the guest bedroom, and half the kitchen. He had also successfully managed to have a conversation with his Momma without either of them cryin’ or yellin’.

In fact, it was so exhausting trying to keep himself calm that he decided to take in the luxury of a mid-afternoon nap. He stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes and thought about the future. He really was ready to move on now.

Blake woke up an hour later to the sound of his phone screeching out his ringtone. He groaned as he reached over and muted the call before covering his eyes. The sound of a new voicemail barely made it to his ears before it started ringing again. He reached over and put the phone to his ear.

“What?” He said in a pained voice.

“Oh. Have I caught you at a bad time?” It was his realtor. Blake let out a small groan and apologized.

“Sorry. I’m a bit hungover.” He lied. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, we’ve all been there.” She laughed politely. She was a nice enough woman, not really from the area, but that’s exactly what he wanted. The less she knew about him the better. “I wanted to give you a call to let you know we’ve had an offer on the place.”

“Oh?” Blake said emotionlessly. “That’s great. How much?”

“$1.5 million dollars!” She said with excitement.

“What?” He sat up a bit too quickly, and immediately felt a headache kick in.

“Right out of the blue! This gentleman called me and told me he’d driven past the place and didn’t even need to see it. Just said we should take it off the market immediately because he was interested and would pay top dollar.”

Blake looked at his phone in confusion. Who the hell would spend that kind of money on this place? It was worth a lot, but to go a million dollars over his asking price was insane. Who even had that kind of money around here?

“It’s so strange. This listing has been up for weeks with no bites and in one day we got two offers way above the asking price!”

“Two? You didn’t happen to get their names by any chance, did you?” Blake had a feeling he knew where this was going and he was not happy about it.

“They did. Just give me a moment.” Blake sat quietly as he heard the sound of shuffling on the end of the line.

“Shelly Kelton said she’d pay $900,000.” She continued. “And the big dollar offer was a Mr. Luke Olred.”

Blake rolled his eyes. He was going to kill them. He was going to physically kill the two of them. No jury could possibly convict him.

“So what do you think?” She said, interrupting his murderous train of thought.

“Give me a few days to think about it and I’ll get back to you.” Blake responded with feigned interest. “It’s a lot of money but I need to make sure this is going to a good family.”

“I completely understand. Take your time, I’ll let him know you’re thinking about it.”

_Oh, no need. They’ll both be hearing from me directly._

“Thanks so much.” Blake hung up the phone and furiously scrolled through his contacts.

“Look who’s alive!” Kelly accused.

“Who’s this?” Blake asked in an annoyed voice.

“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” Kelly asked confused.

“Oh, my mistake. I must’ve dialed the wrong number. I was lookin’ for Shelly freakin’ Kelton!” Blake said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Kelly was silent on the other line.

“Well?” He asked.

“If you’re waitin’ for an apology you’re not gonna get it.” Kelly responded. “I’ve got fifteen other people waitin’ in the line to make that lady an offer and I’ll find fifteen more if it keeps you from makin’ a dumb ass mistake like this.”

“Just mind your damn business, alright?” Blake said as he hung up the phone. He took a deep breath in and out several times before dialing again.

“Ol’ Red, this is Luke.” Luke answered in an upbeat tone that only made Blake more furious with him.

“Luke.” Blake said simply. He heard dead silence on the other end. It was as though the other man had stopped breathing.

“What in the hell were you thinkin’?” Blake shouted at him.

“C'mon, Blake! Don’t be mad! Kelly made me do it. You know how scary she can be!” Luke tried to apologize but Blake wouldn’t hear it.

“I’ve known you your whole damn life, Luke and I know there are two things you don’t got right now.” Luke was silent again. “One point five million dollars... or a job.”

He hung up the phone and flung it on to the side table. It went sliding off the back between the table and the wall. He again counted to ten about twenty times until he felt himself calm down. He had every right to be pissed. This was none of their business. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling that told him he’d do the same thing if it was the other way around.

“Shit.” Blake said loudly when the phone started to ring again.

He pulled the table back and went to grab for his phone when he saw something else back there as well. It was a small red notebook. He pulled it out and stared at it curiously before answering the phone.

“DID YOU JUST FREAKING FIRE LUKE?” Kelly screamed through the phone. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

Blake ignored her and opened the book and felt his heart stop. He quickly closed it and put it down on the table.

“Kelly I’ll call you back.” He said as he hung up the phone on her mid-sentence response. He shut the phone off completely and tossed it next to him on the bed. With a shaky hand, he picked up the book and opened it back up again.

_“What’r you hummin’?” Blake mumbled tiredly. Adam was wrapped up around him and quietly mumbling a tune as he was known to do when the feeling struck. The vibrations against Blake’s neck were making him shiver._

_“Song” Adam responded. “New one. Can’t get it out of my head.”_

_Blake leaned down and kissed his temple softly. “Why don’t you write it down?” He suggested._

_“Don’t wanna move.” Adam hugged him tighter and Blake let out a noise of agreement. They lay there quietly for twenty minutes before Adam shot up._

_“Oh fuck.” He said suddenly._

_“What’s the matter?” Blake asked with a slight look of worry._

_“It all just came to me.” Adam leaned over and grabbed his notebook off the table on his side of the bed. He looked around frantically. “Pen? Pen?”_

_“I have one in my drawer over here.” Blake started to sit up but Adam beat him to it. He hooked one leg around his waist and leaned forward to grab the pen out of the drawer._

_“Perfect!” Adam said as he sat back into a straddle on Blake’s hips. Blake looked up at him with amusement._

_“Comfortable?” He asked sarcastically._

_“Shhhh!” Adam said as he began to write. Blake sat there for a half hour, a mix of contentment and turned on as he watched a naked Adam on top of him deep in his process._

_Unfortunately the turned on started to outweigh the contentment when Adam unconsciously started to slow rock back and forth against him as he hummed his song. Blake put his hands on Adam’s hips to stop him before he embarrassed himself. Adam looked down at Blake in surprise as if just realizing where he was._

_“I’m not going to be able to sleep until I get this all down.” Adam explained with a shy smile._

_“Then I suggest you stop movin’ your hips.” Blake said with a slight hint of desperation._

_Adam let out a quiet chuckle and continued to write. Blake felt himself drifting off to the sound of Adam’s humming and scratching down lyrics before he felt Adam begin to move his hips again._

_“Don’t start somethin’ you’re not gonna to finish.” Blake bit his bottom lip to hold back the groan._

_“Dude, I’m on a roll! I’m definitely finishing this.” Adam responded._

_“Not what I meant.” Blake grabbed Adam’s hips and pulled him forward so that he could feel how hard Blake was pressed tightly against him. Adam let out a gasp._

_“I’ll finish it later.” Adam said quickly and he looked down at Blake, his breath picking up._

_“You sure?” Blake let out a groan as Adam took them both in his hand and pushed his hips forward. “What if you forget?”_

_“I won’t.” Adam whispered and licked his lips._

_“How do you know?” Blake didn’t know why he was still talking. He really needed to stop talking. Adam leaned forward and kissed Blake deeply for a moment before pulling back and giving him a breathtaking smile._

_“It’s about you.” Adam responded. Blake felt his heart jump into his throat and if he wasn’t so turned on he thought he might pass out with emotion._

_“Well in that case” Blake pulled him back down into what ended up being an absolutely filthy kiss. Adam flung the notebook and pen in the general direction of the table and groaned._

Blake lay facing the empty spot on the bed, the notebook clutched tightly in his hand. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there but this was the position Kelly found him in.

“I can’t believe you hung up on me!” She said, letting herself into Blake’s bedroom. “Luke called me freaking out and…” She stopped when she realized Blake wasn’t listening and had a lost look on his face.

“You ok?” She asked seriously and sat next to him on the bed, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “I’m sorry about the fake offer. I’ll call her right now and take it back.”

“I was wrong.” Blake said finally. He rolled over so that he was now laying on his back looking up at the ceiling.

“About what?” Kelly moved to lay in the spot next to him. Blake opened the book to the last page Adam had been working on. He wordlessly handed it to Kelly to read. He saw her squint at Adam's messy handwriting before reading the lyrics, her mouth moving silently along with the words.

_I'll be your sun and your moon tonight  
I can be whatever you like  
I was alone but I'm ready to feel  
I wanna show you my feelings are real_

_All this time I've been living it up  
And every night I'd be falling in love  
But I'm finally seeing the light  
Falling in love with you every night_

_But if I ever let you down  
If I ever let you down  
Forgive me, forgive me_

Kelly closed the book and was quietly taking it in.

“He said..” Blake started and rubbed the exhaustion out of his eyes. “He said it was about me. When he was writing it.”

“Fuck.” Kelly responded.

“Yeah.” Blake nodded. They lay there quietly for several minutes before Kelly let out a loud sigh.

“I mean, I know we all agreed that he was a dick for doin’ what he did.” Kelly leaned on her side to face Blake. “And we also agreed that he really liked you enough to write a song about your ridiculous jacket.”

“But…?” Blake turned to look at her finally.

“You’ve been killin’ yourself all this time thinking what he was feelin’ was just guilt. Well, it couldn’t be more clear, big brother.” Kelly tapped at the book with her fingernail.

Blake nodded but didn’t say anything. She was right. The answer he was looking for was right there in Adam’s awful chicken scratch handwriting. He spent an entire damn year torturing himself over this. He convinced himself so deeply that everything Adam had said and done was just him feeling guilty after finding out the photos weren’t Blake’s fault, and not because he felt anything stronger than a crush on him. He knew he liked him well enough but he thought Adam was just trying to make it up to him the only way he knew how. He felt like such a fucking idiot.

“You should call him.” Kelly suggested.

“And say what?” Blake asked tiredly. Kelly rolled her eyes and pretended to pick up a phone and make a call.

“Hey Adam, it’s Blake. How are you? I’m doin’ just great. I found your notebook. The one that said you’re totally in love with me. Good news! I'm super in love with you too, isn’t that crazy? Did you wanna get together and talk about our feelings and bone?” She then pretended to hang up.

“I don’t talk like that!” Blake complained.

“Hey! Which one of us is currently married and which one of us isn’t? You should take every bit of advice I give you as gospel!”

“I don’t even have his number anymore.” Blake looked over at his phone. “I got real drunk right after and I deleted all his contact information.”

“You deleted everything?” Kelly asked incredulously.

“Pictures. Texts. Everything.” He nodded. Kelly looked at him and considered that.

“You’re lying.” She said finally.

“Why would I lie about that?” Blake asked in a tone that clearly betrayed him.

“Because you’re a giant baby who would rather die miserable and alone than actually talk about his feelings.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“Give me your phone.” She held her hand out.

“Why?”

“Give me your phone, Blake.” Kelly gave him a look that he knew meant that she was not going to take no for an answer. He rolled his eyes and handed it to her.

She scrolled through his contacts but couldn’t find Adam’s number. She looked over at Blake thoughtfully before looking back at the phone and going into the notes app. Sure enough there was Adam’s number pasted in there.

“I knew you didn’t delete it.” She held it up to show him.

“I deleted the texts.” He tried to defend himself. She gave him a pitying look and tossed him the phone.

“Call him.” She said firmly as she walked out of the room.

“Fine.” Blake agreed. He waited until he could hear her in the kitchen before looking down at his phone. He began to panic and he hovered over the entry in his phone.

What in the hell was he going to say to him? After their last meeting Blake made it pretty clear that he didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. Adam had probably moved on, several times at least. The last thing Adam needed was for Blake to call him like some kind of an idiot.

Taking a deep breath and biting the bullet Blake looked over at the notebook one last time, tracing his finger over the doodles Adam had drawn on the cover, before entering the 10 digit phone number and pressing the call button.

_“I’m sorry. You’ve reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please hang up and try your call again.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for Ficmaniac for pointing out that this story is one year old today. (GASP!!) I couldn't let this go by without posting something.
> 
> I appreciate everyone sticking with this for the last year. I really wanted to get this done before 2021 but looks like it might be a bit longer. 
> 
> Again, thanks so much for all of your comments, kudos, etc. I love and appreciate all of you.


	34. Chapter 34

Blake wasn’t surprised that Adam’s phone number had been disconnected. He ignored that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that was screaming _‘He did it because he doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.’_ It was clear to him now that they’d both done a pretty good job of breaking each other’s hearts.

Blake went through his phone and tried to see if he could find any old texts from Carson. He had deleted his phone number a long time ago but was hopeful that he could find a text with a 310 area code in there. He had no such luck. He tried calling his management company and said he had a notebook that belonged to Adam. The person he spoke to on the phone condescendingly gave Blake an address to mail it to. A quick google showed that it was the same address for fan letters and autograph requests so that was out.

At his lowest point he used Luke’s twitter account to tweet at Adam and the band but there was no response there either. Message received he supposed.

It had been two months since he found the notebook, one month since he sold the ranch. Despite his friends suggestions that he keep trying to get in touch with Adam, Blake needed a break. The last few months had been a lot to take in and he just needed to calm down and relax. This revelation came to him a few weeks ago when he had picked up his laundry. Along with his folded jeans and shirts was a ziplock bag of items that were left in his pockets; one of which was the phone number of that disaster encounter with Dierks several months ago.

Blake stared at his phone number for almost a week before deciding to bite the bullet and text him. Blake felt the heat of embarrassment on his face when Dierks had responded the next morning that he did remember him and that he was sorry for taking so long to respond, he had been on a date the night before.

Blake apologized and assumed that would be the end of that. He was surprised when later that day Dierks responded back that it was fine and asked Blake how he’d been. They texting went on for three days before Dierks ended up putting Blake out of his misery and suggested that they meet up for a beer. He gave Blake his home address and after a slight bit of hesitance Blake agreed.

It wasn’t anything serious. They both knew that Blake was still hung up on Adam and Dierks wasn’t looking for anything other than a bit of fun. Neither of them had given any indication of wanting to be exclusive. While Blake hadn’t felt like hooking up with anyone else he knew Dierks had been and he was completely fine with that. He was a funny guy that he found easy to talk to and, after a while, trusted him enough to talk about Adam a little. It was an unspoken rule that they wouldn’t have sex on the days when Blake dared to bring him up. Blake was usually too tense and in his head to get into it. He knew Dierks wouldn’t sell him out and spill all he had learned to the tabloids. Apparently Dierks had a few hookups with musicians, including a very famous, very married couple and knew how to keep things private. Blake was pretty sure part of the reason Dierks so readily agreed to keep it quiet was because Blake, to Dierks’ surprise, hadn’t asked who his hookups had been.

Blake didn’t bother hiding his new non-relationship from his friends. He made it very clear that they were casually seeing each other and that everyone needed to mind their business about it. Thankfully everyone had agreed to let Blake do his thing and no one made any suggestive or rude comments when he had brought Dierks over to Luke’s one Saturday.

They’d all had a pretty good time and Dierks invited him to hang out with his own friends the next weekend to watch football. He found out a few days prior that it was also his birthday which added a layer of awkwardness. Dierks insisted there was nothing weird about it and invited Luke. Blake mentioned that his sister was going to be in town and insisted Blake bring her as well. So yeah, no pressure there. 

By the time the following Saturday had come along Blake tried to distract himself from freaking out over the possibility that they’d be revisiting the topic of what this whole thing was. Having the guy you’re casually sleeping with around friends was one thing, but family was a whole other story. He knew they should’ve talked about this earlier but Kelly called him that morning from her hotel saying that she was definitely coming and he needed to stop making shit weird.

He was busy attempting to get his mind off this by giving Ms Precious Purrfect a bath. CeeLo’s cat really loved the water for some reason and would often meow loudly outside the door during his showers and had been known on occasion to hop in. He was shaking his head in amusement at the contented purring from the cat when he heard a knock at the front door. 

“Just a second.” Blake shouted as shut off the tap and pulled the cat out of the tub. He went to grab a towel to wrap her in, but being the impatient diva that she was, she shook the water out of her fur and soaked Blake in the process.

“Aw, crap.” He said standing up and trying to wipe himself with the towel. “You’re a menace, you know that?” He said to the cat as he walked to the door.

“Sorry about th…” Blake stopped talking when he opened the front door. Adam looked at Blake in surprise. Like he wasn’t the one who was just absolutely blindsided. 

“I’m sorry. Were you in the shower?” Adam asked, taking in the wet shirt before shaking his head. “Wait. Shit. That’s not what I mean to say. Um…” Adam stumbled over his words as Blake gaped at him. “Can I come in? It’ll be just a minute and you’ll never have to talk to me again, I promise.”

Blake looked over at the tall box next to Adam, and he quietly stepped aside to let him in. Adam grabbed the box and gave him a grateful smile. 

“What’re you doin’ here, Adam?” Blake asked softly. _Had he seen his twitter messages after all?_

“Well, I thought about going to the store but didn’t want your boyfriend to tackle me on sight.” Adam joked. Blake gave him a look of confusion. _Did he know about Dierks?_

Adam glanced over Blake’s shoulder to a photo on the wall of Blake with his arm around Luke’s shoulder, Luke’s was around his waist. They both had big grins and fishing poles in their hands. Blake closed his eyes briefly in understanding before turning to look back at Adam.

“Luke’s not my boyfriend.” Blake told him with complete seriousness. “He was never my boyfriend. He’ll never be my boyfriend.” He stressed.

“Oh.” Adam looked confused. “He said…”

“He’s an idiot. He lied to you.” Blake felt that familiar anger simmer just below the surface as he remembered what Luke had told him months ago about letting Adam believe they were together, but did his best to keep that from showing on his face. He still had no idea what Adam was doing here.

“So…” Blake said, dragging out the word so it was almost a question.

“We’re doing a show tonight.” Adam started. Blake nodded and waited for him to continue. He had known that. Luke had mentioned it in passing and he wasn’t convinced that Kelly hadn’t randomly decided to visit this weekend for that very same reason. “I wanted to give this to you a few weeks ago, but I didn’t want to risk shipping it and I knew we were going to be in town and thought it would be best to just… do it myself.” 

Blake frowned at the box and looked up at Adam. “What is it?” 

“You can open it.” Adam said softly. He bit his lip and looked extremely nervous which made Blake’s own nerves rise. 

Blake walked over to take it from Adam and gently opened the box and stared at the guitar case inside. He opened the case and his eyes widened inside in disbelief. It was a 1944 C. F. Martin D-28 Herringbone. Not just any C.F. Martin. He recognized the dent he’d made on the heel when he was 14. This was his brother's guitar. He felt his legs almost give out as he reached inside to carefully pull it out of the case, his hands shaking. 

“How did you get this?” Blake’s voice broke with every bit of emotion bleeding out of his chest. 

“I made a reasonable offer.” Adam shrugged. Blake looked at him, completely overwhelmed.

“My lawyer couldn’t even get this back. It must’ve been some offer.” Blake looked down at the guitar and ran his fingers over it reverently. He wondered how much this was going to cost him and how he’d ever repay him.

“Well, that and I may have tricked your ex into a business meeting and then threatened to have her blacklisted from every music agency in the United States and Canada.” Adam admitted with a small grin. Blake held the guitar to his chest and willed the tears not to come.

“Thank you.” He struggled to get the words out past the tightness in his throat that might’ve been a sob. “Where did you even…”

“You were right. She is a frequent guest at CeeLo’s parties. He was surprised to hear she was your ex-wife. Lifetime ban for breaking your heart.” Adam explained.

“Why’d he let you in then?” Blake gave him a small smile. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Adam had done this for him.

“He could recognize an idiot in love who wanted to fix a really bad mistake.” Adam said softly. 

Blake stood still in front of him. His mouth opened but no words would come out. _Did he just?_ His brain was screaming at him to say it back. To say the millions of things he wanted to say to him. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he didn’t need to look at it to know that it was from Dierks, likely responding to his happy birthday text from earlier. He was meant to be at his house in the next two hours with Luke and Kelly. He suddenly felt like he was going to pass out. 

“Well…” Adam nodded, taking Blake’s silence as an answer. He ran his hands through his hair awkwardly. “If you’re ever in L.A...”

Adam walked to the door and Blake looked down at the guitar and back at Adam before blurting out:

“I do, ya know.” Blake said softly as he quietly ran his fingers over the strings. “Forgive you.” 

He looked up at Adam who had such a hopeful look on his face that it almost hurt to look at. “A long time ago. Not just because of this.” He gestured to the guitar. Blake walked over to the cabinet next to the living room entryway and pulled Adam’s old notebook from the drawer and handed it to him. Adam looked down at it in confusion before it clicked. 

Adam looked back up at him and Blake hated seeing that sad look on his face. Adam knew Blake had read his song for him and he still hadn’t said the words back. God, he wanted to. He had never felt like this for anyone in his entire damn life and he was right there and Adam wanted him just as much. He could do it. Tell him how he felt right now and end both of their agony. Or he could tell him and they’d end up breaking each other's hearts all over again.

Blake felt another text buzz in his pocket. 

“Goodbye, Blake.” Adam said before Blake could open his mouth. Blake tried again to find the courage to stop him but he was scared shitless. 

“Thank you, Adam.” He said in a whisper as Adam closed the door behind him.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today because Ficmaniac has rightly been calling my ass out for not posting when I said I would. 😂 
> 
> IT'S ALMOST OVER!

Blake spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. He brushed the tangles out of the cats hair, showered, and got dressed on auto-pilot. He looked over at the guitar and let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t believe Adam had done that. That he had actually been here. Adam had basically told him that he was in love with him and what did he do? Nothing! 

Months trying to get in contact with him and when he was finally in front of his damn face he couldn’t get more than two damn words out and he just let him go. Again. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He shouted into the empty apartment. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see that it was Kelly. He winced at the time. He was supposed to have left around twenty minutes ago. Kelly was already there and asked him to hurry his dumb ass up because this alcohol wasn’t going to drink itself.

_Alcohol. Yes. He’d need LOTS of that._

Blake grabbed his keys and walked over to his closet. It had been months but seeing Adam again he just needed… 

With a resolved look on his face, Blake grabbed the denim jacket and put it on and walked to the door. Hesitating for a moment he grabbed the guitar case and grabbed it before locking the door behind him.

The drive to Dierks’ was fairly quick and he made his way into the house and gave a distracted wave to Dierks’ friends as he walked to grab a beer from the ice bucket near one of the tables. He saw his sister standing next to Luke by the kitchen. Blake winced as Kelly spotted the case Blake was holding and gave him an intrigued eyebrow raise. He put it down gently in a corner and ignored her. 

“Things are getting pretty serious, huh?” Kelly teased as she walked over and gave him a playful elbow in the side.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Blake said as he opened his beer and took a really long chug.

“No need to be nervous. It’s cute that you’re going to play a song for your boyfriend on his birthday.” Blake started choking on his beer and gave her a wide eyed stare.

“What? He’s NOT my boyfriend!” Blake said sternly. 

“Speaking of…” Kelly nodded her head in the direction of Dierks who had finally emerged from his bedroom.

“Blake!” He said with a smile and walked over to give him a hug.

“Happy Birthday, man.” Blake hugged back but not as tightly as he normally did. _Oh, God. It was a mistake coming here._

“Took him long enough to get here.” Kelly said with a roll of her eyes. 

“Sorry about that. I should’ve been the one to introduce you.” Blake said with a grimace. He knew his sister could be a lot to take and it wasn’t a great look that he had Luke do it instead of him.

“It’s fine. She’s great.” Dierks gave them both a warm smile. 

“Wait until she gets some more liquor in her and see if you feel the same way.” Luke said jokingly. Kelly raised her middle finger at him and walked away, Luke laughed and followed after her.

Blake spent the next hour keeping mostly to himself. Kelly and Luke had given him a few suspicious looks but so far no one had commented on it. Blake looked over at the clock on the wall. Adam went on in two hours. He returned his gaze to the guitar propped up in the corner. 

“You know I have a ton of guitars here.” Dierks said as he sat down next to Blake on the couch. “If you wanted to play something you could’ve borrowed one of mine.”

Blake glanced at him for barely a moment before returning to look at his guitar in the corner. “No it’s not…” Blake tried to explain but the words wouldn’t come out. Kelly, having overheard part of their conversation let out a suffering sigh.

“Can you just man up already?” She said to Blake and walked over in the direction of the guitar.

“No, Kelly! Don’t.” He stood up quickly to stop her but it was too late. She had already opened the case and pulled it out. She looked at the guitar with a deep frown on her face before looking back at Blake.

“Is this…” She started to say. He noticed her eyes had gotten a bit glassy. Blake couldn’t get the words out so he just nodded. “How?”

Dierks looked between the two siblings in confusion. A few people looked over to see what was going on but Dierks sensing something was off casually directed his friends to the next room with a tilt of his head. 

He looked back at Blake wondering if he should also leave. “It was their brothers.” Luke said quietly. 

“Adam…” Blake reached out and took the guitar from Kelly. “He came by the apartment this afternoon and brought this with him.”

“Adam as in…” Dierks looked at him incredulously.

“Yes.” Blake nodded.

“He just dropped it off? That’s it?” Kelly asked in surprise.

“He also said some things…” Blake glanced over at Luke and Dierks with pink tinging his cheeks. 

“What things?” Kelly asked carefully.

“He pretty much said he was in love with me.” Blake winced. _God, this was so awkward._

They all stood there in shocked silence as Blake held the guitar to his chest.

“What the hell are you even doing here?” Dierks broke the silence with a shout. 

“What am I… It’s your birthday…” Blake spluttered. 

“My birthday? Who gives a shit? Are you out of your damn mind?” Dierks looked at Blake like he was the biggest idiot in the world. 

“I don’t…” Blake frowned at him. Dierks left the room briefly and returned with Blake’s jacket, holding it out to him.

“You need to get in your damn truck right now and tell that man you’re in love with him.” 

“He’s got a show tonight.” Kelly finally spoke up. “At Bridgestone Arena.”

“Give me your keys.” Luke held his hand out. “I’m driving.” Blake looked between the three of them and wordlessly handed Luke his keys. Blake watched Luke and Kelly rush out the door and told him to hurry his dumb ass up. 

“I’ll be there in a second.” He shouted after them and turned to Dierks. “I’m sorry for ruining your birthday.” He apologized.

“Are you kidding me? This is probably the best present you could’ve given me.” He said genuinely. Blake gave him a look of confusion. “We’re friends, man.” Dierks put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I like to see my friends happy.”

“Thanks.” Blake wished he could say more than that but was finding the right words to be difficult at the moment.

“You’re not going to be able to take that in there.” Dierks gestured at the guitar. “I’ll keep it safe for you.” Blake gripped it a bit tighter, reluctant to let it go. “I promise.” 

Blake let out a breath and handed the guitar to Dierks. He put it back in the case and pointed to the door. “Go get your man. I expect full details.” He winked at Blake and walked toward the direction of his bedroom, guitar in hand. 

Blake smiled as he heard the sounds of honking outside and rushed out the door. 

“It’s about damn time!” Kelly shouted as he got into the truck.

“You’re right.” Blake nodded. 

“Let’s do this!” Luke put the car in gear and floored it.

**Author's Note:**

> I regret this already. None of this is beta'd.


End file.
